Good luck, trying to use skill in Mario Kart 8 is like trying to use luck in Smash bros. Not gonna happen, get hit once and you'll get hit by everything else in the back. I'm normally far in front, but blue shells always mess things up, I'm always given coins, so nothing to protect myself from the hoards of other items behind me.
You had to use more skill in MKW, cut corners fast, try to get a mini turbo every chance you're given, wheelie a lot, which was easy, no skill. If you won with a kart, that would take a lot of skill to do.
Mario Kart 8 is a mess of items, green shells went from 34% likely to hit you to almost 89%, that's the worst part, they were given a bit of homing, even towards you if you threw it. It's a game of luck - Make sure you have good items from the start, anything to protect yourself from anything, then you're kind of set. It's more luck, not much skill.