Iv been into RC for a few years, had a few electrics to start out but in the past year i got my first nitro and since then i got 2 more nitro cars and havnt even considered driving an electric anymore, it just doenst do anything for me anymore. ok well to bring up mmy question. I just got y first 1/8 scale buggy a month or two ago. its a hyper 7 and i love it. I have never raced before but it is something i am really interested in now. i have never even driven it on a track yet. so my question is, what would be better to do, go all out upgrading my hyper 7 or go with something with a MBX-5R or an 8eight or a high level buggy like that. what ever i decide to do i think the smart thing to do would be to just use my hyper 7 on the trach for the rest of this season and over the winter put something really nice together. I dont want to be that person thats the worst driver with the nicest car. it bugs me when people are like that. Id rather get used to racing with a decent car and when i get good get something thats very copetitive.
So for when i do decide to put together a good race worthy buggy, should i go all out with the hyper 7 or get something else. also is there anyone out there who races in the CT/RI area and knows of some good tracks? There is one track by me but not mentioning it because i dont want to upset anybody i jsut did not like the people in that hobby shop and would like to find somewhere else. Thanks a lot.

i would try the hyper 7 as it is now for a little bit, andif your being blown away get something newer. ive heard you need to be a consistant driver to tame the 8ight, so unless your good i would say you shouldnt get that one. i would go for a hyper 8.5 or a team assocciated rc8 (when they both are released) only because they are the newest.

how do people do with tons of hop ups on their hyper 7s?

Hop-ups are over-rated for the most part. I am not familiar with the Hyper 7, but in general, all the aluminum and junk like that is not necessary. I run a bone-stock 8ight. And the other guys I race with run box-stock Kyoshos, Jammin's, X-Rays and Mugens. These things are competitive right outta the box. I would drive it as is for now. Check out what other guys are running at the track. If you see some other Hyper 7s, pick the guy's brain a bit about what he's done to it (if anything other than setup).

If you're getting your butt kicked, it isn't necessarily the car that's at fault either. It takes practice, not only driving but wrenching as well. You can have the baddest ride out there, but if you can't drive or set your car up for the track, it isn't gonna matter how much money you spent on the car.

Good words K B

thanks a lot. i think i a going to head to a local track tomorrow. there are two by me and both of them are open for anyone to jsut go practice on. id love to get as uch practice in as possible before winter because id like to get good enough that i can save up and get a new car over the winter so i have a new one all set to go and start racing in the spring. i gota admit tho, i kinda nervous on what to expect goign to a track the first time and never having done it before. i jsut hope everyone else there isnt runnign amazing cars perfectly and imm mjust getting in the way.

the drivers that will be there wil more than likly be very helpfull, there may be 1 butt out of the bunch. my last trip to the track included me, another new guy and 1 real racer. this guy parked his revo and spent almost the whole afternoon helping us new guys out with tuning,driving and,chasis setup you'll have a blast, enjoy

The Hyper 7 is fine as a club racer. There are a couple of upgrades that are worthwhile depending on the model you have (TQ, PBS, PCR or pro).
You really shouldn't need to buy a new buggy for a while. Race a season with the hyper and see how you do. It seems you already realise that just buying a new buggy will not make you insantly faster, so I don't need to explain that to you.

Stick with what you have, and go have fun.
As said above, most people at the track are very helpful.

wow, that was a lot more fun then just driving around the back yard. I had a great time and met some cool people. one question. for a battery pack in the car i just have the thing with four AA batteries in it and i hate it. it doenst last very long usually and i am constantly changing them. i want to get a rechargeable pack for my reciever and transmitter. Its an airtronics MX3. what do you guys suggest?

Just get a flat 6v NiMh receiver pack. Go for the highest mAh rating you can find.
You can use hump packs as well but they don't fit as well on the buggy.

how long would a 5 cell 1400 mAh pack last? would one be enought for a full day of using it?