I'm going to agree with jjmudd, nitro adds many more things, compared to electric, that you need to get right in order for your car to even run a full heat. In addition to nitro specific tasks like engine tuning and throttle linkage setup (which make just about every new racer go
or
) you've got the whole driving and setup deal to figure out as well. Beyond that, the nitro junkie is a different breed of racer...
Nitro...the pinnnacle is 1/8. Names like Collari, Fantini, Bertin, Burch, Swauger, Shimo, Salven are all known and associated with 1/8.
jrabbito's got that other issue cornered as well. The BigBoys prefer 1/8th, and 1/10th nitro touring is a relatively new class as well.