NASCAR diecast
A NASCAR diecast car is a scale model replica of a NASCAR driver's specific car that was represented at a NASCAR track. They are typically made out of die-cast metal with plastic components. The cars are typically made in two scales: 1:64 and 1:24. However, other scales have periodically become available throughout the years, including 1:87, 1:43, 1:32, 1:18, and rarely 1:144 and 1:16. The manufacturing of NASCAR die-cast replicas became popular in 1992 with the formation of Action Racing Collectibles. As of November 2011, Lionel NASCAR Collectibles (the new producer of Action) is the sole producer of NASCAR die-cast.
History[edit]
The NASCAR diecast[1] toys were first produced in the mid-1990s by Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and Racing Champions. They were a crowd favorite at racetracks at their souvenir vendors. By the 2000s the majority of teams had a die-cast produced for their driver. Nearing 2005 there were four total brands: Action/Winners Circle, Racing Champions, Hot Wheels, and Team Caliber. In 2006, Racing Champions and Hot Wheels ceased production of NASCAR-licensed replicas. In the same year, Action Performance Companies and Team Caliber merged to form Motorsports Authentics, Inc. Team Caliber's product lines fully merged with Action in early 2007. In 2010, Action discontinued its Winners Circle retail brand at the end of the year. The licences were assumed by Lionel, LLC in 2011 which became the sole die-cast producer under the NASCAR Licensing Trust. In 2010, Hot Wheels made three promotional 1:64 scale die-cast cars of Danica Patrick; the first Hot Wheels-branded NASCAR products since 2006, albeit utilizing tooling from the newly-defunct Winners Circle line. These diecast cars were sold at the NASCAR.com Superstore. The diecast are sold through retail, wholesale and the RCCA ELITE Diecast Club.
Winners Circle[edit]
Winners Circle started in 1996 with a few NASCAR drivers available, which included the sport's two main attractions, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon, along with Robert Yates Racing teammates Ernie Irvan, and Dale Jarrett. These cars came on a cardboard back with a plastic bubble, much like Hot Wwheels, except they also included a picture card. Around the year 2001, Winners Circle started to produce more drivers such as Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ricky Rudd, Sterling Marlin, Bill Elliott, and others. The cars were produced in either 1/18, 1/24, 1/43, and 1/64. The 1/64 and the 1/24 were the most popular. These cars were sold mostly at Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Meijer and other major retailers. The cars never printed the Series Entitlement Sponsor nor the Pole Award Sponsor logos on the car because of age appropriateness of both sponsors, which would be mounted on A black platform base. In 2004, Many primary schemes that were run that year were produced in these retail stores, and the Series Entitlement Sponsor decals were added to premiership cars for the first time. In 2005, many alternative schemes were produced instead of the primary schemes. But nonetheless, in 2006 Winner's Circle went back to producing the main schemes with some alternative schemes. A tribute to Dale Earnhardt 5-car set based on the cars ran at Talladega by Martin Truex Jr, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Paul Menard, and a special car featuring all of Dale Earnhardt's major achievements was produced with Alcoholic sponsors. In 2007, Winner's Circle produced just a tad less cars than normal in retail stores. The company started the year producing the Gen 4 cars until the raced version cars came out, where Gen 5 cars that won, were made. They also went to plastic packaging instead of cardboard, since too many people were tearing open the cardboard packages in stores with ease. Then in 2008 fewer cars were made as the full transition from the Gen 4 body style to the Gen 5 style was made complate. they started off the year with the top drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr, etc. They didn't produce a specialty line like American Hero's or Tribute to Dale that year except for a special Hendrick case with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then in 2009, a dramatic drop in the diecasts had begun. the year started with a Daytona 500 special packaging, and a special case with a promotional Daytona 500 car and a Sprint Cup Series driver's car like Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, or Jeff Gordon. But in 2010, a limited amount of paint schemes were produced, and Motorsports Authentics announced it would be cancelling the Winners Circle brand, coinciding with an early season rule change that affected the body style of the car that affected massive retooling. Through mid-2010 and 2011, die-casts could only be purchased at track-side, licensed dealers, and through the Lionel NASCAR Collectibles website. But in 2012, it was confirmed that Spin Master, the creator of Air Hogs, Tech Deck, Bakugan, and other retail items will begin to produce a large retail NASCAR merchandise lot in stores such as Walmart, Dollar General, Kmart, and Target under the NASCAR Authentics name. In late 2015, Lionel Racing NASCAR Authentics cars were spotted in stores. The cars were modeled after the Winner's Circle brand with hood pieces and with the checkered flag in the middle. However the brand was still called NASCAR Authentics, which meant the end of Spin Master and NASCAR
References[edit]
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