I have had amazing past experience with Kyosho products. Very great quality products. As a beginning racer it would be a very good choice for someone who wants to stay on a low budget. I would recommend for racing getting a very nice steering servo. If budget isnt an issue go with the kit but that route your looking anywhere up to $2500.00 starting out. With little knowledge and experience take all the advice experienced racers give you. Dont expect to go on the track and be a top performer right off the bat.
I think that this is a great RTR. It was my first off-road vehicle after 30 years of nitro on-road. It was tough enough to stay in one piece while I learned what to do and not do when running off-road.
There are a lot of upgrade parts available for it if you decide you want to work towards converting it into a ST-RR.