I tend to think the point is that at the club level, there would never be a reason to turn a racer away just because they showed up with a shell that wasn't 100% "legal". Let' em race. Perhaps suggest that they move to an approved shell if they continue to run on a regular basis. Personally if I went to race for say, the first time, and someone made a big stinking deal over me having a corvette or Vaterra shell, I doubt I would come back. Just my .02
If the wheels will fit within the shell without protruding out, so be it. That said, I do think the HPI Camaro is a better choice. I have found it to be fairly durable.