It depends on your perspective. I race at two clubs. One races 1/24th scale retro scratch builds, the other plastic RTR cars in classes with varying levels of modification from just glueing and truing to replacing motors,gears wheels, tyres and axles.
Personally i get the most pleasure from getting together a pile of piano wire, brass, a plastic kit and all the running gear and creating something. I'm not the best builder or the best racer but the cars are all mine and each one I build is a bit better than the last..
Each to their own.
Cheers,
John