I've tried pistol style...it's not bad and I find it easy too but for me it can't compete the stick when you race on track. If you're mostly used to pistol type, at the beginning you'll find it a bit hard to get used to it, but once you do then you'll see it's more precice and you can work better the throtle "feedback" moves. Just get a radio with short sticks so that your moves are faster. Well rubber tyres last longer...but nothing compares to foam's grip. I often used rubber semi slicks but only at wet or rainy racing conditions. One of the best sticks I've tried or owned for rc cars use are:

SANWA Super Exzess ( http://www.dsaw-hobbies.com/articlea...yle1lang0.html )
SANWA Gemini II ( http://www.dsaw-hobbies.com/articlea...yle1lang0.html )

(They are both 3-channel digital FM radios at 40Mhz)

I have the Gemini II. That's the radio I use for all my cars (each car has his own receiver and servos...the Gemini II stock servos are on my 18ss cause I used racing servos on the RRR and EVOLVA that I sold with them).

I also have a Hitec ranger II AM but that's an old one that I have just for backup or other applications.