Originally Posted by .RJ
Thermal contact != physical contact
that was my point. Or, rather, physical contact is usually by far the most efficient thermal contact.
Do performance pads really have lower thermal conductivity than street/OEM pads? I honestly dont know. Its possible that some thermal barrier (backing plate thickness/material) or insulators can slow the rate of conductive heat transfer to the calipers, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that will make, since the heat is still going to get there - if its 6 laps or 3 laps, it doesnt really matter.
The denser the material the harder it is to put heat into it, and the slower it dissipates heat. Track pads are
usually quite a bit denser than street pads.