Zerodefect

Don't get an RTR for racing.

You're waaay off if you think you can get around building and wrenching. You'll have to completely strip and rebuild the car within 2 weeks of getting it. Every piece of electronics is going to fail, and I'm certain you'll break something in the drivetrain in short order.

Better off with race kit and electronics right off the bat. Most of us have allready gone down thee cheap/rtr route, it was way more expensive than just doing it right the first time.

Get your tools, chargers, leads, and power supply 1st. Get decent stuff. Glue, 3M tape, thread lock, etc.

You need to know your car inside and out, otherwise aa 20min repair takes an hour, and that can seriously mess your day up. At some tracks, any repairs means you may miss a round, because thee day goes so quickly.

Yeah, it's $$$ to start with race gear, but it'll be cheaper in the long run. And you only have to make such a huge investment once. After that, RC is fairly cheap.

RaceDayHobbies

I agree with the race kit vs. the rtr. You will be money ahead after about 6 months. If the budget is tight I would look into a used buggy. Go to your local track/s that you plan on racing at and ask around to find out what other people are running. They may also have stuff for sale. It will be a hugh help if other people are racing what you have when you start out. They will be able to help with set up, trouble shooting and possible spare parts when you break something. Set up is so important in racing that having someone there with experience on setting up your car will be priceless. If you are going to get a kit, you may want to consider the Tekno RC EB48.2. It is a very nice buggy that works great.
Just be ready.....once you start you will be hooked and won't be able to stop.