Well, If you are planning on getting into racing you will need to purchase a .12 size engine. I would recomend getting a non turbo engine and make sure it has a rotory carb, not a slide carb. The rotary carb gives you a better power band for off road racing. A turbo engine will cost a whole lot more to maintain because of the cost of turbo plugs. I would look into perhaps an engine made by o.s., they are very reliable and easy to tune. These engines run plenty strong enough to keep you up to speed and they should not cost you an arm and a leg. Next invest in some titanium turbuckles if you have not already, these are a must. I am not sure of the quality of the pipe on the rtr versions, but you may want to check into picking up a better pipe. For off road racing make sure you pick up front and rear a-arms and shock towers, and bulk heads. These will break when you race and It is always helpful when you can throw on a new part and continue racing instead of calling it a day. Another important part of off road nitro is tires. Call up your lhs and figure out what to use. Most of this stuff your lhs should be able to help you with and recomend. I would recomend dropping by your lhs and let him know your long term budget and help you to get started racing. You have to remeber If you start the season with a budgett of 300 bucks you can't go out and buy a $250 power plant and expect to be race ready. You need to make sure you have good tires, working parts and ect. I recomend dropping by your lhs and let him get you set up. This is a starting point of what it is going to take to race though.
