[Chris Doughty]

I'll keep the replies short

claymoreman - the current cars are not being hung out to dry at all. R&D team has NOTHING to do with spare parts production, distribution or shop stock of current TD kits.
R&D focus is always is always a generation ahead of current production car, this has been the case since forever and I would only assume the same is true for all manufacturers

NeilRalph - Perhaps there is another angle to your ideas. I think Rossi is awesome, but I'd quite happily stick a 46 sticker on a Honda.
I've heard many people say "Rossi could ride a scooter and still win"
but if some upstart rocked up on a Suzuki and dropped it onto the front row of the grid.. OMG how did that happen? it must be the bike!

Lee Martin, awesome racer, won with his Tamiya, wins with his Mugen 8th scale car, switches to Yokomo 10th scale, wins with that too... erm... there is a common theme to his success here... and its not the car.

I come back to my original statement saying "the RC race industry is cyclical, no one manufacturer stays in favor all the time."