What's the use in buying an XRay kit if there isn't much support for them at his local track?? If he's a newbie to this form of racing... then I don't see that as being a benefit. Sure... without doubt XRay is quality... but so are many other cars out there. Tamiya... XRay are probably the two best in terms of their machining quality, etc. But... XRay weren't exactly UBER at the Worlds.
Honestly.... you will see racing out there with MANY different types of cars and it wouldn't be rare for there to be say 6 different manufacturers in the top 6 of a field!!
Tamiya (mainly the modern cars are good), XRay, Corally (only RDX tho, Assassin sucked!), HPI, Team Associated and Schumacher are really the ones out there that I see regularly at the top of timesheets, depending on where the racing is at, what type of racing is going on, etc, etc. Either way... like Matt Howard said... there ain't no UBER wondercar. If people are running Schumacher's at your club then that's what I'd be getting. I'd be running what your friends.... or what most club members are using at the track you race at are using. Its the best way for a newbie to start out in racing.