I say go for it. Don't be afraid to give it another go. The most hardest thing for nitro is learning how to tune a nitro engine. Read up on it, look up YouTube vids and of course the more time with it, the more you will start to feel comfortable.

I would see if you can "bash" (more like practice) in a field near your house or a baseball field, or anywhere with dirt really. If you can't get some on road tires and hit a parking lot. Practice tuning. Different days, different conditions. Do this before driving 2 hours to a track and then getting frustrated all over again because the tuning is off. Its heck of a lot easier to do it closer to home than in front of everyone the first few times.

With enough practice, you will be able to tune by sound and feel. Yes, it will take a while, but you will get the handle on it.

Im trying electric for the first time. Started nitro many years ago but always was curious about the e-cars. So I'm taking the same plunge as you, just backwards lol.

Good luck and happy tuning!