Carrera makes some of the best plastic track available.
If I were to build a plastic track I would get Carrera.
The 1/43 cars are really cheap, best for younger kids.
If your kid is over 9 he's ready for 1/32.
The Carrera slot cars are on the cheaper side, price/build and performance.
The Carrera cars are great looking scale models, but other brand slot cars perform better.
But that does not matter as later you can buy close in cost higher quality replacement cars.
Besides if all you know is the Carrera brand cars your first time slot racer should be very content.
You know that it is the magnets under the slot car that hold it to the steel rails.
Some take off the magnets for more of a challenge, cars fish tail and take more skill to keep in the slot.
For a first time slot racer the magnets are good and make the car easy to drive along with masking problems with cheaper slot cars.
Problems being out of round rims or tires among other issues that modelers spend hours dialing in.
I would not go digital for your first slot car track.
It can be a crash fest for the first time slot racer to handle lane changes, or sharing the same lane and the race/pit stop required option.
Get the Carrera track, good choice.
I got an awesome plastic track for xmas when I was a kid and I've been a car guy since.
The Slotblog link was the where I ordered my cars, they have a clearance section for some good savings.
Careful some get addicted to collecting slot cars....