Is anyone racing their 1/8 buggy?

My next project is to convert a 1/8 buggy from nitro to electric for strictly racing purposes. . I am planning to go brushless and Lipo. My questions are:

What is the best and easiest buggy to convert? Does anyone know what the lightest buggy is out there that is a good racer?

What is the best ESC/Motor combo for competitive racing? I am looking for power similar to a quality nitro engine, and the smooth power curve of a quality electric ESC.

What are the best Lipo’s to go with? The packs on Maxamps.com are reasonably priced, but do they have the same quality and output when compared to other manufacturers?

What are the run times based on the suggestions that you may have for the buggy suggestion, motor/esc setup, and the battery setup?

I am aware that a voltage regulator, charger, and cell equalizer are also necessary. I think those are all of my questions for now. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.