Kyle Slader had a great racing season in 2011, winning the Modified class points title at Thunderbird Speedway and finishing second in the Sports Mods class. This season will be somewhat different – with some potential big-time career implications.

The 17-year old Muskogee driver was one of nine applicants out of a field of 965 to earn a spot in the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development program. Slader flew out to California in December for The Shoot-Out which is the annual talent search conducted by RSWC.

“There were 20 drivers that were part of the Shoot-Out,” Slader said. “It was spread out over three weekends. From there, Sutton selected the nine drivers last month.”

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top NASCAR teams look for when hiring drivers.

During the three-week audition period, Slader was put through the test in all aspects of driving a race car.

“I was taught how to market myself,” Slader said. “We learned how to work with spotters and crew chiefs and how to make passes on asphalt. We also learned how the cars work, how to set them up and different lines we can run.”

Slader and the other eight drivers will join the returning 11 drivers from the 2011 RSWC driver roster. These 20 drivers, each with $6,000 to $25,000 of sponsorship dollars from Star Racing Supply, will train and race with the RSWC program with the goal of working their way up the ladder to professional stock car careers.

“There will be two weeks of training before that actual races begin,” Slader said. “The first race will be in Stockton, Calif., on April 7.”

Slader is responsible for his expenses and the Slader family is having two fundraisers to help offset the costs. The first “Kyle Slader Give Back Night” will be from 4-10 p.m. Feb. 28 at Chili’s with the second one being at the Muskogee County Fairgrounds from 12-5 p.m. March 10.

When he is home, Slader will continue his racing at local tracks with his eye is solidly on the future.

“This is a lifetime experience,” Slader said. “(Sutton) develops us into multiple classes with different kinds of cars. When he fells we’re ready, he will contact a team and we will go test in front of them. It defends on what class he feels each driver is good at. I’m looking towards NASCAR.”