Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick claim top two spots, but a surprise newcomer comes in a close third.
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[/media-credit]CONCORD, NC (December 12, 2011) – Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet and Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet were the best-selling 1:24 scale die-cast cars of 2011, according to a top 10 list released today by Lionel NASCAR Collectables.
However in a surprise showing, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne clinched the third sport as his No. 21 Motorcraft Daytona 500 Win Ford made the cut.
“The interesting thing about our top 10 list is that it proves how much NASCAR fans love a good story,” said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCAR Collectables.
“Trevor Bayne driving the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane at the Daytona 500 is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the sport,” he continued. “And while we realized Trevor’s win was beyond big, our team had little idea just how popular the die-cast would be.”
While Gordon’s AARP Chevy was the best-selling die-cast car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tops the list as the driver garnering the most die-cast sales in 2011. Earnhardt cars claimed spots four, seven and nine.
“There’s no denying that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still the sport’s most popular driver from a merchandise perspective,” Hitchcock said. “Our sales clearly reflect that and there is consistently strong demand for any Dale Jr. car.”
Another Earnhardt also made the list of heavy hitters. Dale Earnhardt’s No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford was introduced in July as the first release in the company’s NASCAR Classics line – a series of historical die-cast which have never before been made. The result? Collectors loved the No. 96 car so much; it shot to the sixth spot on the list of 2011 best-sellers.
The Top 10 Die-Cast Cars of 2011 are listed below. For images and a slideshow detailing the story behind each car, please visit www.lionelnascar.com/top10.
Jeff Gordon No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet
Trevor Bayne No. 21 Motorcraft Daytona Win Ford
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Amp Energy Chevrolet
Tony Stewart No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 National Guard Heritage Chevrolet
Tony Stewart No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Dale Jr. Foundation/Vh1 Save the Music Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Military Tribute Chevrolet
About Lionel NASCAR® Collectables
The official die-cast of NASCAR, Lionel NASCAR® Collectables is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed die-cast race cars. A joint venture with the NASCAR® Team Properties and Lionel Electric Trains, LNC makes and sells replica die-cast race cars through a variety of channels, including Corporate, National Accounts, trackside, online, a network of specialty dealers and the Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA). Made up of a group of experienced merchants, artists, sales people and support staff, LNC has its pulse on the racing community and is committed to giving fans the very best in die-cast collectable cars. LNC is based in Concord, NC. For more information about Lionel NASCAR® Collectables, please visit the Web site at www.lionelnascarcollectables.com. Follow Lionel NASCAR® Collectables on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lionelnascar and Twitter @LionelNASCAR.
NASCAR announced earlier today (July 30) that all four manufacturer submitted 2013 car models have been approved by the series to begin racing next season, and that the OEMs may now start building parts for those cars. The 2013 Ford Fusion, which was first unveiled in January of this year, was one of the four designs officially approved to go NASCAR racing beginning at the 2013 Daytona 500. Ford Racing Director Jamie Allison commented on what the approval means for Ford and the sport going forward.
