Off road racing puts A LOT of abuse on a vehicle, more than most people who "bash" put there vehicle through. The jumps are usually pretty decent size, your getting run into by other cars, hard on the throttle and brakes all of that takes a toll on the vehicle and will be more noticeable with a lower quality vehicle. With that being said even if you're planning on cruising in a parking lot only, people will still recommend a quality rig based on ease of use and better parts support. For counting the teeth, try marking them as you go, if you still can't count the teeth you should probably just bring it to your LHS because you may not be able to fix it on your own. Is there any particular reason you haven't posted pics of the car?