I'm sorry but that's not what I said or meant to imply. What I would say in addition though if you've owned and raced any of the RTR MT's i.e Savage,MGT,LST,Revo,. To go racing there are some changes that need to be made and we all know what they are. You could go to any of the websites associated with these models to read the same critisisms over and over again.

My point about bashers, and I was one before I started doing both is, you need to learn to race. Most of us that turned to racing learned very early that trying to hussle a truck around a track ain't easy.

I've seen a well set up Hellfire going very well stock engine and all. I've seen another fitted with a Novarossi engine running strongly as well. Knowing what I know about racing and racing in the Unlimited Class, coupled with what I know about RTR's by their very nature. I feel most of the critisism of the Hellfire is partly unfounded. Almost every truck or kit released since I've been racing has had some issue or another, it's part of the hobby. If anyone enters the hobby or buys a truck should expect something to not be quite up to their expectations, for the most part the only thing needed to race the hellfire competetively is a new servos, and item that you should expect to change in a RTR, the rest of the truck is pretty well constructed, yeah a few had problems with A-Arms breaking and Hing Pins droping out but HPI responded to customer warranty claims. You just can't ask more than that.

I know a guy who got his Hellfire and without driving it changed the diff and shock oil. Why? He'd not driven the truck to see what the base setting represented in terms of handling. From there the complaining started. He complained about the engine being sluggish, Why? He hadn't run a gallon through it yet and most engines don't start showing their real color until a gallon has passed. He complained about the cornering but watching him at the track, he entered the corners wrong to begin with, coupled with not knowing how the base set-up worked, without trying that, you can't know what to change or try first.

People don't have to spend thousands, they chose to. There are usually a few components that may require hop-up investment but most of the rest is up to the job. Racing is expensive and stock parts are the most cost effective way to keep spares. The basis of the Hellfire is as sound as the LSP that preceded it. To be completely fair it's as tough as most buggys and truggys from what I've seen.

So, RTR's are a compromise plain and simple. If anyone believe parts shouldn't break or fail during race and play are fooling themselves. It's always happened. I don't ask people to believe me, if you read through the archives of many of these trucks forums you can see for youself.

Perspective is all that I'd hope people understand about the hobby/sport and to notice that a handful of people, in real terms, have any serious problems (unlucky) and the other hand full, their troubles can be traced back to themselves and their expectation, unrealistic belief in their skill level and so on.

In short, people taking themselves too seriously. MT racing has been until this year, The Year of The Truggy, Fun and Funny. If people study and take notes they can buy a Hellfire, RTR or SS and get a lot of enjoyment from it. They may never experience any of the problems that some of the loudest complainers go on about.