NOOB battery questions

[beast95451]

Well I'm new to this whole electric thing. Been running 1/10 & 1/8 scale nitro for years, & after seeing these 4wd buggies run I just had to have one. I've searched through many, many posts & it's getting old so I'm starting a new one....
I just bought a Kyosho Lazer ZX-5 with KMC conversion to use saddle packs (picture below)
Now for my battery options. I will be racing 1 or 2 times a week, usually 2-4 5 min heats, & 10 minute mains. Trying to figure out my best options...I know a little about Nimh batteries (discharging & equalizing) but know very little about LiPo
This is what I'm trying to decide on...2 or 3, 3800-4200 nimh top quality 6 cell saddle packs or 1 LiPo saddle pack.
Questions on LiPo....
-I would either be getting the maxamps 4400 or 5500 2S LiPo. http://maxamps.com/products.php?cat=54 Which leads to my next question...are both of these packs the same size? Will they work in my buggy? Will I need to mod anything?
-Will one LiPo fit my racing needs?
-Is there any maintenance involved with LiPo (discharging, equalizing)?
-After a 5 min heat, can I just plug it in to the charger & top it off for the next race? How long should it take to peak between races?
-What kind of runtimes am I looking at compared to nimh? If I win the 5 min "B" main & move on to a 10 min "A" main will the LiPo make it through the "A" main without recharging?
-How will my performance differ between the 2 different types of packs?
-It seems like in the long run, if I only have to buy one pack & a charger, that LiPo is the best bang for my buck...correct me if I'm wrong.
BTW I'll be running a Mamba Max 7700...which I have already purchased.
Sorry for the long post, your advice is much appreciated