Well. I can explain the "Why 14 wheels question" the others I'll have to get back with you on.
Basically with 14 wheels we can gear them all together, keep about the same size profile for our chassis as previous years, and having 7 wheels on each side gives us one in the middle we can use for a pivot point to help with turning (very common with good tread designs).
We've actually found that this has more traction than our tracks in previous years.
I'll post more info as soon as I can get it.
For more pictures of our robot and other stuff we're up to, please visit our website at:
http://www.team703.com