Is a 3-step bad?

[JP1738]

I've used a 3-step in my Super Street car and now my stocker since I started racing. I'm not necessarily reliant on it, but I like having it to keep me from zinging the motor in the water box. I feel confident after this many years racing I don't need one, but again, it's just there in case it tries to get away from me.

Something I've noticed over the years: I frag valve train components once a year. Every year, without fail, I will break a rocker stand, rocker arm, or push-rod. Sometimes all three depending on what gives up first. I've never had a catastrophic failure, just something that puts a cylinder down and ruins my race day. And every single time this has happened (I think 5 times now) it happened during the burnout early on in the race. Usually first or second time run of the race, it will frag something in the valve train and that's my day, over. Is the three-step causing this? I'm not exactly beating the 3-step up, honestly. It might nick it a touch while holding the line lock, but it's not hammering it the whole time. Or is it just a coincidence? If I remember correctly, it rarely frags mid-burnout on the three step, normally its just after I release the Line Lock and begin to pull out of the burnout when RPMs may climb higher than the 3-step and get close to the high side.

For reference, my high-side is usually set around 7500 and my 3-step is 6500 with a converter flash of 6000.