Muskogee Racer Takes Dreams To Next Level

One young Oklahoma is kicking up dirt all the way to California—dirt from the race track that is.

Sixteen-year-old Muskogee native Kyle Slader has been winning race divisions for years and now he is taking his talent to the next level after being accepted to the Ron Sutton's Winners Circle Driver Development Program in California.

Out of 965 applicants, Kyle was one of nine drivers who won spots for the RSWC program and Star Racing Supply sponsorship. Slader had to compete to win a spot in the driver development school but his impressive skills helped him rise to the top of this year's Shoot-Out to win a spot on the driver roster.

"Pretty much by the time I am 19 or 20 I want to be in NASCAR," said Kyle.

Now that the driver search is complete the nine new drivers from across the US join last year's 11 returning drivers to train and race in the program with the goal of working their way into a career in stock car racing.

"The most exciting thing about it is that it's a development school to take me to NASCAR and develop me into a NASCAR driver," added Kyle.

"Kyle's got the talent, somebody will pick him up and they will be proud of that he does," said Kyle's grandpa Stanley Slader.

For the Sladers, racing runs in the family. Stanley has been racing since 1971 and both Kyle's dad and uncle hit the track for some racing.

"It's a family sport," says Kyle. "Ever since I was born."

"He's really surprised me on this race track because I have raced on this track for 33 years and he's done stuff that I never even dreamed about or tried to start," said Stanley.

"It's hard to get noticed in Oklahoma," said Kyle's mother Cristy. "We've taken him, as parents, as far as we can get him and for us and for him to get this acceptance and this opportunity is major big."

Kyle got his start on the track with go karts tallying 84 wins and four championships before moving to Factory Stocks in 2009. There he nabbed six wins and a championship along with the Rookie of the Year award.

In 2010 Kyle won a total of 22 races including a Sport Mod Championship and a runner up in street stocks in his rookie year.

In 2011, Slader won an A Mod Championship and a runner up Championship in Sport Mods before making the transition to pavement. He picked it up with no hesitation and impressed at the shoot out to keep his dream of racing at the next level alive.

Kyle's next trip out to the California training track is May 4th.

For those interested in sponsoring Kyle you can e-mail him at kyle.slader@yahoo.com or call 918-351-5370.