If a car is A: More durable
B: More easily setup
C: Easier to drive fast
D: Used commonly at your track

You are more likely to be successful.
E.G : I had an old TC3.I was unable to keep up with the competition due to my inabitlity to get it handling right,being older it broke more easily & because it didn't drive well,I crashed it more and broke it more.
Vicious cycle.

I bought a 2nd hand Losi,it was fast,but i had setup trouble and no one else ran the same car.People tried to help,but their advice didn't translate.
I was fast one run,handled like crap the next.

So i sold that and bought and '07 Xray.
Handled terribly too,until i tore it down and reset everything by the book.
WOW !! What a difference !!
I smashed my p.b each time i ran the car.
It is smooth,consistent and VERY easy to drive.Almost runs on auto pilot.
My p.b is .6 sec faster than the Losi running on the ragged edge, and 1 sec faster than the TC3.
Because the car is so easy to drive and well built anyway, i have yet to break anything in 4 months of weekly racing with it and i wish i had known this earlier.
I just finished second in our 540 championship over 14 rounds , to another '07.Once the car is setup,you just charge your packs and race.