by Jesus Garcia - Photos by Larry Chen - 09/26/2024
Hoosier Tires has officially driven into new terrain with its all-new Track Attack Pro performance summer tire. These H-branded tread tires are the "Ultimate Track Day Weapon" for driving enthusiasts looking for street-legal rubber that can handle the high-pace demands of a weekend track day. Of course, slick advertising and buzzwords can only take you so far. To get the real story, we had to fly to Palm Springs, California, and spend the day at the Thermal Club race track facility with the BMW Performance Driving School team to find out how these street-legal Hoosier track tires handle themselves.
After a driver's meeting, we eagerly left to find our assigned groups and pick a driver's seat. The track's facility and vehicles were divided into four different courses to test the tire's braking, handling, and durability. At the end of the test day, we suited up for the ultimate challenge for a street performance tire, doing hot laps in a full-fledged GT4 race car at the track.
Handling the Hoosier Track Attack Pro Tire
Anyone with even the briefest experience in motorsport and the automotive world will tell you that this lifestyle is anything but cheap. Performance summer tires are typically the best solution for those who want to enjoy their vehicle in good-weather daily commutes and weekend track days without needing a jack stand and buying multiple sets of tires.
Creating a dual-purpose street track day tire means the rubber needs to excel in durability, handling, and braking. It needs to be strong enough to handle boulevard potholes and 120 mph straightaways without losing composure or grip. During the multiple tests in BMW M-powered cars, you could feel the dedication and quality control Hoosier invested in developing the Track Attack Pro tire.
One test involved accelerating up to 50 mph before slamming on the brakes and making a sudden left turn as part of an obstacle avoidance simulation to feel a tire's grip and handling in a panic stop. We ran the course a handful of times in a BMW M3 fitted with Hoosier Track Attack Pro tires before switching to another M3 wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Plus tires. Between the two brands, I felt the Hoosier was more composed under stress compared to the Michelin.
Under foot-to-the-floor braking, I felt the Michelins had a bit more slip with the ABS on as I threaded the needle between two traffic cones meant to represent a gap to avoid the theoretical obstacle in front of me. The difference between Michelin and Hoosier is enough for a non-racing driver like me to notice.
The latter half of the day was spent getting familiar with the Thermal Club race track in a BMW M4 Competition before suiting up in a full race suit and helmet and jumping into a BMW M4 GT4 race car. My group was the last one to be out on the track in the M4 GT4. We ran laps, following the lead vehicle driven by a BMW Performance Driving School instructor who didn't play it slow and expected us to keep up or risk getting an embarrassing ear full on the radio that we were going too slow.
The fear of bruising my ego kept my foot on the gas, flat out on the straightaway before stomping on the brakes to dive into the turns. Laser focused on the lead car while ensuring I was in the right gear before getting back on the gas, which meant I wasn't paying attention to how the tires were coping with this kind of extreme testing. Nevertheless, nobody at this event went off the track, spun out, or put themselves in a situation that alarmed the instructors.
We all completed our laps safely and at a commendable speed. Afterward, we found out that the M4 GT4s ran the same set of Hoosier Track Attack Pro tires for the entire test group and the test group the day before us. That means two full days of punishing track testing at the hands of a wide variety of driving talent and not a single blowout or wear that would force a tire change. That's impressive! If that doesn't stir up enough curiosity to kick these tires at your local dealer, I don't know what will.
Hoosier Track Attack Pro Construction
What makes the Hoosier Track Attack Pro a leading contender in the street legal track tire segment? For starters, Hoosier has been making racing tires since the Kennedy administration. You don't stay in business for that long without learning a thing or two about tire technology. Hoosier has taken their extensive knowledge of motorsport and infused it into a street performance tire. The Track Attack Pro is constructed with extra wide shoulder ribs to maximize cornering ability and a center rib to increase braking performance. The tire is also lightweight and UTQG 200 rated. Moreover, it's available in 46 sizes ranging from 15-21 inch diameter to fit a variety of performance vehicles.
You can shop for a set of Track Attack Pro tires to fit your ride at any retailer carrying the Hoosier brand.
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