Tracks around here tend to be dry slick, with huge "send it" doubles and triples right after a hairpin. With a two pole motor you would have to nail the corner for max exit speed to make it. That was a problem because your corner approach would be substantially different to the Shaft drive guys could just look at it and clear the thing (you might get run over getting the run up right). With a four pole, I can do that too.

Randy Pike described the 2 pole vs 4 pole motor as similar to the 2 stroke vs 4 stroke motorcycle engines. Two pole/stroke are soft on the bottom with a power band that hits hard, where the four pole/stroke motors just make t-o-r-q-u-e as soon as you gas it.

I'm the wrong guy to ask about batteries. I charge at 20 amps, I've never puffed one, I only have one battery per chassis I own, and I never have any issues. When I cycle them they aren't awesome, but I must have 150 cycles on the pack in my SC10 4x4, and I didn't buy them new.