It's a good durable buggy. It takes more driver's skill than anything to win a race, so as long as you know your limits and how to tweak things to your advantage you should be able to make it to the A-main.

I just switched from a Hyper 7 PBS/PCR to a Hyper 8 Pro and the biggest difference is weight. The Hyper 7 with no electronics and no engine weighs about the same as my Hyper 8 fully loaded.

I have the Hyper 8 Port that I got from the Hyper 7 in my Hyper 8 now because it's a good engine with nice top-end power and a smooth powerband. This is helpful on really loose tracks(ie: mine) to make it easier to drive.