Hi Luke,
Excellent choice on the HobbyWing, I've used these without a hitch since returning to the hobby after a long break, I really can't see any point in spending more to be honest, it does all I need and more
The Savox servos are good value for money, but you really need to be adding a power cap when using them to ensure you don't have any power issues - these are only a couple of quid on ebay so no big drama.
When you do come around to motor choice I can highly recommend the HPI Pro Flux range - at around £55 new with a sensor cable included they are a great motor, and an 8.5 in a 2wd would be manageable but still nice and quick - you can always limit your throttle a little whilst you get used to it. Good luck with the racing mate
