tvih, I wish you luck with your race if you do indeed participate. I was a BIG SC10 4x4 fanboy but once the Tekno came out I had to get it. My best advice to you is practice practice practice. The truck does have its advantages on certain tracks (tight technical ones) but if you are on a big 1/8th track with big jumps, you may see yourself getting pushed around by the heavier Tekno's and Losi's which seem to be dominating the 4x4 short course world.