Having to replace something that works fine even at a discounted price isn't very appealing to a lot of people. Keep in mind when a company wants to "sponsor" a series or race it isn't always due to their altruism toward the hobby.

Our club has been running blinky in TC over a year and in 1/12th almost a year. No infighting amongst the members or finger pointing, so far no one is running out and buying motors and batteries ever meet, motors and esc's are not going up in smoke. Maybe we are just lucky or perhaps there are just a lot of unverified third hand accounts being passed off as personal experience.