Marc and myself parted ways shortly after the Mint 400. I no longer have a "dog in the fight" as they say, so I respectfully refrain from joining into conversations that I have no business cluttering. Besides, I'm no diplomat when it comes to sharing my/our experiences, be it good or bad for sponsors or manufacturers. Just because one is well supported by a manufacturer, doesn't mean that their equipment gets an instant upgraded approval rating. Aside from making me feel important again, the intentions of my posts have always been to openly share information, by that I mean hard racing data and performance results (or not) in an effort to quicken the learning curve of less resourceful teams. I can't count the times I've been railed on because of things I've posted here, only because they shone a negative light on entities that supported us. If it sucks, I'll say so, and avoid dwelling on it, or using specific names. If it's positive, well you all know how much I like boasting!
I will finish by sharing this opinion:
Compared to the stock drive train (and by that I mean the tranny, clutch not withstanding, differentials, CV joints, and connecting drive shafts), of the 2013 Maverick, the 2015 xp 1000 fell way short in the area of durability, reliability, and overall engineering in general. With its cushy carrier bearing, floating rear driveshaft, extreme u-joint indifferent operating angles, electronically controlled front diff, it wasn't a matter of how long the drive train would last, but rather how soon it will fail.
I do miss boasting and posting though. Who knows, maybe I'll get a new fighting dog!