BH,
Hey.....I am located in Gwinnett County...so Sugarbowl is the closest to me.
No racing at all! I dont have time for it. Running United RC, Inc. and my reg. job, plus Wife and 2 year-old....oh yea then there is my Tigermoth Airplane, and my HellCat plane (currently being built).....so as you can see my time is very precious!
Ok...now for the answers to your questions:
1. Local Hobby Shops: The only one I trust is Hobbytown in Duluth. We have another local hobby shop, but they SUCK! Poor ass customer service, and WAY OVER priced! I like to shop online as well....its all about the bottom line for me....the cheaper i can find it...the more I can buy!
Also, I am an HPI dealer...so I get all HPI stuff for very cheap! Like a R40 for $250!
2. Budget: Somewhere under $300. Like I said above..the cheaper I can get it...the better. Most of the HPI kits are around mid 200's...so that is a great starting point.
3. Upgrades: Well to be honest...i am not sure what would need to be upgraded. Now in the Micro market...that is another story, but on the 1.10th scale...I am not sure. I tend to upgrade when I break stuff....since i bash...it does not really make sense for me to upgrade right away. The only thing that i could think of are these two things (tell me if I am off): 1. Pipe (nitro), and 2. 2-speed (if the kit does not come with it).
4. Racing vs. Bashing: NO...not really offically. Maybe a buddy (like you) but never organized....i just can not commit that much of scheduled time to do it.
So....let me present this to you....
The R40, like I said can get it for $250.00. But i would need:
Radio (already have!)
Engine: What would be a good engine for this car?
Body: NO big deal here.
Or should i just look at one of the kits that includes a motor, etc...but no radio/servos/etc???