The Associated/Yokomo tie up goes back about 25 years. It was Yokomo who first came up with a motor where the brushes were replaceable to increase performance over the 'silver can' motors we all used at the time. They tied up with Associated's Mike Reedy to tune and market the motor.
AE had cars (the RC12, RC500, etc.) and were first into the Off-Road boom with the RC10. 4WD wasn't a class in the US in those days, but as it became one, Yokomo produced a car. There was always believed to be an unwritten agreement that AE made 2WD, and Yokomo 4WD, and that they wouldn't compete. Most AE drivers drove Yokomo for 4WD, and most Yokomo drivers drove AE 2WD.
Craig Drescher, Rory Cull and many others had this arrangement; Neil is carrying on a combination that has won more National and International titles than any other. It is only in the last five or so years that this has changed because AE had a competitive 4WD car. It isn't at all strange; what's strange to me is that after 20 years of the RC10, AE has a 4WD car! HTH
