Rocket Ron - crappy grip - am I missing something?

So my bike (29er 100mm full suspension) came stock with Maxxis Maxxlite tires. These are 2.0" super-light tires with barely any tread, designed for "race use only" and only for hardpack.

After a few rides on them, I ended up finding a lot of grip. I was keeping up with friends that had very...