The wittman gear certainly seems simpler than all that gear tower work, landing gear saddles and holes in the fuse etc. (yech!) not to mention the lost leg space in the cockpit. I accept that Van selected it for a reason, although I don't know what it was. I followed the plans and moved on...
Funny about that drag, I was always thinking the RV-8 gear would have more drag because the fuse intersect is so close to the wing leading edge, also with all that accelerated air from the prop comming back along the fuse in pulses. Popping air pulses at blade pass frequency over the gear leg and burbling back over the wing?
I never gave a thought to the drag of the RV-4 gear being worse at the wheel fairing intersect?
I've seen some interesting air flow directing devices above and forward of the wing leading edge, including on one (Franklinstien?) of Van's.