If/when you decide to become real serious, ie - competition level - you'll want to lose all the weight possible... so, thumbs down on the Dana... too heavy. A well-built 8-3/4 will always get the job done. Dana's are awesome in strength and appearance, but they're overkill with the extra weight. Further, changing the center-sections on an 8-3/4 is quick and easy if you have different tracks that can justify different gear ratios... or even the simple chore of just trying different gears at different tracks.