Ibought my youngest the Traxxas Slash. It's a nice truck and there are plenty of race classes fot it when he's ready. The biggest complaint I have is that it's not a kit. I think that much of the RC hobby has been lost with the ready to run packages.
I'm a fan of local hobby stores first but when they don't have what we need I shop at
towerhobies.com
Local is nice when you need a repair part quick. I'd make sure to buy a truck that they carry parts for.