pumpkinfish - Awesome, glad to hear it!
Doug - Haha. I totally and completely respect Brandon's decision, and wish him the best! It won't affect my friendship with him whatsoever.
Now, will I give him crap about it? Absolutely.
rezenclowd - The Drake engines are Picco based. I don't believe there's any reason to change the rod that often, not even close!
You can order replacement parts through Trinity's website, and I believe hobby shops should be able to order them as well.
rc10bob - I believe that engine modification is very over-rated in R/C, and that many hobbyists get the wrong impression about modified engines (and especially those used by pro-level racers) being greatly different and better than a stock engine off the shelf.
For example, the engines that Adam does for Trinity do not have much done to them, and they'll keep up with anything out there.