Loved the review, Kurt. I don't think I have ever (re)assembled one of these rear axles in exactly the same way it came from factory. I'm generally happy if I only have 2 or 3 screws left over :?. No one will convince me that there is a *good* reason for this design, but I got quite a chuckle out of the Jr. stuck to the refrigerator image.
You also pointed out what I love about these cars- the way they drive. You can actually see the car accelerate and brake. Run these for a while and 1/32 cars seem like they're controlled by an on/off switch. My old, slow reflexes prefer the more manageable drive of these bad boys. Yet because they are not as fast, it's even harder to make up any ground lost from even a small mistake.