Auto Racing

The Chevrolet Corvette, a Sportscar legend and an automobile Classic for ever, has somehow survived inflated insurance rates ; every kind of nonsensical and incomprehensible safety legislation and engine pollution add ons. The Chevrolet Corvette has been universally accepted as the measure of a high performance sports car. Cars come and go, new model of vehicles appear and disappear and yet the Corvette lives on. No car has been able to cover as many aspects of the hi-performance sport as the Corvette. The flexibility of this wonderful car has appealed to all age groups and has kept the possession of a Corvette, a most respected thing.

The Corvette has gone thru many changes in its lifetime, including every custom and hot rod trend going. It has a miracle that the Corvette has stayed a true high performance sports car and did not grown up into a 2 and 2 sedan as did Ford’s Thunderbird. The Corvette was in the on the beginnings of the fast automobile time. In the mid 50′s folk wanted fast autos, and by 1957 the Corvette was leading the pack. Hot rodding owes a giant debt to the Corvette; it was responsible for almost all of the higher performance parts ever to come from Chevrolet. Four speed transmissions, twin quad intake manifolds and hot solid lifter camshafts.

One of the massive contributions to the Corvette’s success story was the variety of options that were offered. Ever since 1956, there had been the choice of a standard of high performance automatic transmission. Each automobile might be tailored into a semi competitive race automobile of a good day to day commuter by just selecting the right options. The Corvette could play either role very well.

Performance was the trend in the late 1950′s and early 1960′s. One of the biggest controversies of the day was which was quicker – a Corvette with twin 4 barrel carbohydrates or one with fuel injection.

Corvette owners were purchasing the high-performance versions and putting them to good use at weekend drags and the amateur road events. There were metallic brake and sway bar options for the sporty set. And though the suspensions system was a conglomeration of early passenger vehicle parts, the low center of balance and near equal weight distribution made these automobiles handle well. The 50/50 weight distribution did not hurt the drag racers one bit either, and they won more than their share.

When 1963 happened, it brought with it a real change in the Corvette. The new body style called the “Sting Ray” was not available in a fastback version commonly called a “coupe” and in the traditional roadster version with a removable hardtop. The Sting Ray had much cleaner lines than its predecessors and even featured retractable headlights. With the change in body style, the suspension was vastly improved with a new independent rear suspension assembly and updated steering gear. It still had the performance of the older vehicles, including the Rochester fuel injected 327 cubic inch engine, rated at 360 horsepower.

The Chevrolet Corvette is certainly an Yankee Sportscar Classic.

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Slot cars run on track using a slot to guide them and keep them on the model roadway. The best known manufacturer of slot cars and slot car racing sets is probably Scalextric.

Slot car racing is a safe and fun hobby enjoyed by many people, young and not-so-young. I’m sure that many people can remember the fun and thrills they had as children with their Scalextric sets. The basic Scalextric system hasn’t really changed since it was first introduced in the 1950s. Scalextric cars from that era are keenly sought by slot car collectors and enthusiasts and can often change hands for significant sums of money.It’s even possible to run those old Scalextric slot cars on modern track without having to modify the cars at all.

But todays Scalextric systems have entered the computer age with the introduction of the Sport digital systems. Then basic Scalextric system allows two cars to run on dedicated tracks side by side but the new digital system enables multiple cars to share a track and to change lanes. These fantastic new features have helped to make slot car racing more popular than ever.

Although it was originally a British invention Scalextric now has a huge and enthusiastic following in the United States. There are Scalextric representations of many popular races including the Indycar and NASCAR. One key factor that has helped to develop the popularity of Scalextric is that they actually encourage other manufacturers to produce slot cars and accessories for their systems. These days there are a variety of reputabel slot car manufacturers who produce some great cars suitable for Scalextric.

Another key aspect of Scalextric systems that make them appealing is that it is easy to start small and then expand. You can get a good starter system for as little as £40 ($70). Even the basic introductory system has everything you need to really enjoy the thrill of slot car racing.

You will find there are many clubs for slot car enthusiasts where they meet to exchange skills and race one another, often with their own car designs. In the United Kingdom there is a whole program of slot car race meetings throughout the year. Slot car enthusiasts often become involved in modifying their cars and optimising their motors, wheels and bearings for best performance.

Getting into slot car racing is eash with a low priced entry level system like the Scalextric Start Race Set. At the club you will meet some very friendly and helpful slot car enthusiasts who are only too happy to provide you with the benefit of their experience.

When you think of German automobile excellence, Mercedes and BMW are two brands that simply are evoked. Audi, too, has been making a name for itself and is balanced to cause a lot of difficulty for its Bavarian cousins with its current line of autos and planned models. The cream of the crop Audi is the A8, a real champ and a brilliant alternative to BMW and Mercedes. Let us take a closer look at Audi’s top-of-the-line sedan and what it has to offer to you, the European sedan enthusiast.

Back in 1994 Audi made a decision to take on Mercedes and BMW by introducing an all new car the full size Audi A8. As the 1st auto built on a completely aluminum platform [for weight savings optimization] the Audi A8 has been continually restating the German high end car market ever since. Back in 1997, the Audi A8 became the 1st auto worldwide to offer six air bags. Later, stronger diesel and gasoline powered engines were introduced to further separate the brand from its competitors.

Since 1997 the A8 has been marketed in the USA, but it hasn’t swiped as many sales away from Mercedes and BMW as Audi had hoped. Still, the current model offers much flair and technological innovation to be actually a different model from BMW’s 7-Series or Mercedes’ S-Class.

One thing that Audi fans have appreciated about the Audi A8 is its various engine decisions. Actually , a tough petrol powered V8 is offered, but other engine decisions including V10 and V12 engines have shown up too. Turbo diesel aspirated V6 and V8 engines have made their way onto European versions of the car, but not in America where emissions standards are tons more restrictive.

So, what exactly can you get with an Audi A8 besides a wide variety of engine choices? Much, as outlined here:

6 speed Tiptronic transmission

Quattro all wheel drive

Power sunroof

Bi-Xenon headlamps

Front and rear foglamps

Premium sound system

18 in. Amalgamate wheels

Full leather interior

much more!

For a retail cost of slightly under $70,000 for the “base” model, the Audi A8 is priced competitively against similar sized BMW and Mercedes models. However, if it is speed that you want, then the W12 model will get you there in about 5 seconds. In this example, you may have to pony up at least $118,000 for the top-of-the-line Audi A8.

Of course, not everybody wants a vehicle as enormous and as dear as the Audi A8. If your tastes are faster, the automaker markets thirteen other models in North America and its Volkswagen division also offers a large choice of less expensive models.

Then again if it is an Audi A8 that you would like, then price won’t be an object. At least Audi hopes it is that way for many of its well heeled customers!.

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German sport luxury brand Audi has played a strong role in helping to shape client tastes and influence the entire European touring market. For nearly 100 years, the Audi brand has been linked with producing high quality, reliable, and well engineered autos. An wierd start almost scuttled the company’s plans, yet today Audi has risen above trouble and is producing cars that are world respected in quality and engineering.

August Horch set up Horch automobile in Cologne, Germany in 1899, and began manufacturing cars in 1901 which featured a horizontal engine manufacturing upwards of five h.p. Demand for these models propelled Horch to expand production and move to a bigger producing facility where a newer, more powerful model pumping out a then-amazing ten hp was released.

By 1910, Horch himself was booted out of the company that sported his name so he set up shop somewhere else and began to sell vehicles under the Audi moniker. Originally, Horch attempted to use his family name, but German courts ruled against him therefore the Audi name was selected instead. In German, Horch means “hark” and the word “audi” is the Latin interpretation of horch/hark. So, though he could legally no longer use his folks name, the Latinized version of the same won out. Guess which name is known today?

In between a pair of devastating world wars, the modern Audi company started to take shape. Indeed, the “four rings” logo of the company represents the union of four distinct German automotive makers under the auspices of Audi. Yes, you guessed it: the Horch company that originally booted Mr. Horch was soaked up by Audi and makes up one of the four rings. August Horch lived to see that big day, but he also witnessed the dismantling of the company following the end of the second world war.

Reparations was the rallying cry when World War II ended, thus the Soviet Union who was occupying the eastern portion of Germany in the postwar era, appropriated the company, took all of its assets, and by August 1948 the company no longer existed. One year later thanks to state loans and Marshall plan assistance, a resurrected Audi was back on the scene manufacturing a delivery van and a motorcycle. Continuous growth throughout the 1950s highlighted by Daimler’s acquisition of the company in 1958 fueled further growth. In 1964, the Volkswagen group purchased Audi from Daimler and to this day Audi remains a big part of the Volkswagen establishment.

By the late 1960s, Audi commenced what many consider to be its important run to the apex of automotive excellence. New models were developed many of which were also sold as Volkswagen models for that time. In 1980, Audi shook the automotive world to its foundation when it released its Quattro sports auto, a vehicle with full time all wheel drive and a turbocharged engine. Instantly, the Quattro propelled the Audi name to the apex of the race automobile world when the vehicle began to win race upon race. Undeniably, the Quattro was such a runaway hit that the model was forbidden from some races for having an “unfair” technological advantage.

Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Audi began to produce further models including its first premium model, the Audi V8 in 1988. Wearing a 3.6L 32-valve V8 engine, the Audi V8 featured full time all wheel drive and a 4 speed electronically controlled automated transmission. This particular model was a big exit from earlier Audis and set the brand on a collision course with Mercedes and BMW, Germany’s 2 other luxury brands in a bid for automotive supremacy.

Today, Audi continues to expand and compete against all of the top luxury brands in the world. New technology including its Audi Space Frame all-aluminum body – renowned for its rigidity and improved crashworthiness – are among the highlights of a brand that does not accept second best. From sedans to sport coupes to an all new SUV, Audi has a model that competes against the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac, Infiniti, and BMW its chief competitors.

That “hark” sound you hear is both the name of a company and the attention the brand deserves in a sea of able premium models produced by Germany’s esteemed Volkswagen Group. Yes, Audi has weathered several storms and the company appears balanced to resume its drive forward thanks to its many innovations and continued prime quality.

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Do you love short track auto racing? Have you been sorry to see all the tracks go out of business over the past several years? Were you as mad as I was when Darrell Waltrip said that short tracks should run on Fridays so NASCAR could have Saturdays to themselves?  If you answered yes to these questions then you’re going to love hearing about the all new Shangri-La 2 Motor Speedway in Owego, NY. Yes, you heard me right, a new era in auto racing has started in the southern tier of New York.

I was there on that sad day in 2005 when Jan Leaty won the final modified race and the orignial Shangri-La Speedway (renamed Tioga Motorsports Park) closed for good to become a gravel pit. I was also there as a child in the 1970s when racing greats like Richie Evans, Geoff Bodine, Maynard Troyer and others put on some of the greatest modified races I’ve ever seen. Did you know that George Kent and Richie Evans together won 156 modified races at Shangri La? Everyone including me thought that an era was over on August 28, 2005 when the gates of the original Shangri-La were chained forever.

While nothing can ever take the place of my childhood memories of Shangri-La Speedway, I’m very pleased to tell you that a new tradition began on the Fourth of July weekend in 2009. Shangri-La 2 Motor Speedway opened for its first weekend of great racing. The roar of race car motors brought to fruition the years long dream of owner and racer George Swansbrough. While Earl Paules and Jim Lamoreaux were the first main event winners, the real winners were everyone in the grandstand. We have a great new track to visit and the tradition of modified racing in the southern tier is safe for many years to come.

Shangri-La 2 is a one-half mile concrete high banked oval track that is going to be very fan friendly. The infield pit area is sunk into the ground far enough that you can see the whole track from almost anywhere. The track was built in conjunction with Skyview Drags, a one-eighth mile dragstrip also owned by George Swansbrough. The two tracks run at the same time and your admission price is good for both places. We had a fantastic time on Sunday walking back and forth between the two and taking in the great racing action. The track concessions were good and you are allowed to bring your picnic cooler with food if you want to.

There were a lot of people who said that Shangri-La 2 would never be built. Some of them are among my best friends. After all, the economy is is terrible, NASCAR has taken Saturday evenings from the short tracks and people have many choices of how to spend their entertainment dollars. Truth is, there is still much to be done on the grounds, parking lot and camping area but I’m glad George decided to open the track this summer. There will be time to finish the work and short track racing fans really needed the boost that we got from Shangri-La 2 on the Fourth of July. I can’t wait to pack my picnic basket and family camping tent and get back to Shangri-La 2 very soon. Thank you George Swansbrough.

When examining other major sports, it seems that NASCAR has been spared the worst of the serious drug use controversies. One of the most well-known drivers to be suspended for a failed drug test was the 13-time race champion Tim Richmond back in 1988. He drove for Hendrick Motorsports and appeared to be on his way to superstardom, becoming a regular fixture on the nascar schedule. Richmond denied any drug use and his innocence was corroborated when it was found that his cold medication triggered the positive test result. NASCAR did not want Richmond on the track at that time. Richmond had lost weight because of, and unknown to NASCAR, he was dying from AIDS. In NASCAR’s eyes, the weight loss and a number of other strange symptoms had to be the results of drug use, and that was the rumor in the Cup garage.

By 1989, he was dead because of medical complications from AIDS.

Twenty years after Richmond was booted out of racing, only a small number of regular drivers have come under fire from sports officials for illegal substance abuse. Drivers Shane Hmiel, Tyler Walker, Kevin Grubb, and Aaron Fike have been suspended by NASCAR in the recent past. Grubb and Hmiel received lifetime bans after failing drug tests following reinstatements from a previous suspension due to drugs.

Hmiel is the son of Steve Hmiel, a long-time mechanic who has worked for companies such as Roush Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Chip Ganassi Racing in recent years|Hmiel is the son of veteran mechanic, Steve Hmiel, who has built an impressive career working for names like Dale Earnhardt Inc, Rousch Racing, and Chip Ganassi Racing. Shane Hmiel was one of the most talented new drivers to hit the track in the last ten years, but drugs were the end of his career.

Kevin Grubb was an up and coming driver in the latter half of the 1990s. Grubb obtained a small measure of success in the Nationwide Series, which was previously called the Busch Series before failing a drug test in 2003. Despite the fact that Grubb was reinstated after being gone for three years from the track, he lasted just a year before final suspension in 2007. Just recently, in May 2009, Grubb shot himself in the head and and subsequently died of his injuries.

The racer Tyler Walker, suspended in 2006 for failing his drug test, is also friends with Sprint Cup Series driver, Kasey Kahne. To my knowledge, he has yet to file for reinstatement.

Driver Aaron Fike`s made the list of trouble drivers when he was arrested for heroin possession at a theme park and subsequently suspended by NASCAR officials. Later, in an interview with ESPN`s `The Magazine,` Fike said that he was using heroin on race day. Needless to say, the Fike interview was a shocking blow to NASCAR.

Until this latest racing season, NASCAR officials had reserved screenings for those drivers under suspicion for illicit drug abuse. NASCAR`s new drug policy includes random testing for all drivers and crewmembers during the driving season using third-party service Aegis Science Corp Labs, which is managed by Dr. David Black.

Several crewmembers were recently suspended for testing positive for illegal substances.

As recently as May 9, 2009, driver Jeremy Mayfield, another big name like Tim Richmond, was place on indefinite suspension for failing his drug screening. Mayfield’s claim is that the positive result is due to a combination of Claritin-D, an allergy medication, and a legally prescribed medication. Both Dr. Black and NASCAR have made it clear that they reject Mayfield`s claim.

Mayfield is sticking by his innocence, and has hired a lawyer, Bill Diehl. There appears to be a legal suit in NASCAR`s very near future.

Although NASCAR has not revealed the supposed substance, and Mayfield was totally ignorant of this illegal substance until recently. Both Mayfield and Diehl obtain updated reports at the beginning of the week.

Essentially, it comes down as Mayfield`s word against the NASCAR officials, and the case will probably be resolved outside of court. This latest event has many turning a critical eye towards NASCAR. Still, there isn`t necessarily any reason for concern for the nascar schedule. It has overshadowed many storylines in NASCAR that could result in positive discussions. The simple fact is that drug scandals are not as common with NASCAR drivers as they seem to be with NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB athletes.

The random drug screening process is an improvement from the screening only on reasonable suspicion approach. However, NASCAR does not provide a list of banned drugs, which is one major flaw in this procedure. It seems that NASCAR wants to be the one to decide if a substance should be banned. With information like the banned substance list in their hands, both crewmembers and drivers would know what is acceptable and what is not.

As with other professional sports, drug use is forbidden in NASCAR.

Are you looking for something different to do on a Saturday night? Do you get off on the sound of powerful motors and the smell of burning rubber? If you answered yes to either of these questions then Gina and Doug Hoffman’s Mahoning Valley Speedway is right up your alley. Located just west of Lehighton, PA, Mahoning Valley Speedway is Pennsylvania’s home for the mighty modifieds.

While they’re considered to be stock cars, the Modifieds are stock in name only. These little rockets are powered by 600 horse power motors and weigh less than 2,700 pounds. They ride on 15 inch wide slick tires on both the front and back meaning that all that horsepower gets transfered straight to the race track. These cars are so powerful that they have a hard time passing on lots of race tracks. Not at Mahoning Valley! Mahoning Valley Speedway is a 1/4 mile track with no real straightaways. The cars are always turning left so the action never ends. Cars race side by side all night long. Last Saturday’s 35 laps went from green to checker without a caution and the top three cars were never separated by more than a foot. Four more times this season, the modifieds will compete in special 100 lap events for extra money for even more excitement. The next race in this modified series will take place on Saturday, June 6th.

The modifieds are only one of the great divisions that race at Mahoning Valley. My next favorite division is the street stocks. These cars are mainly 1980s vintage Camaros and Monte Carlos specially prepared for racing. Their 25 lap feature races are fast and furious. The cars often go three wide and there is lots of bumping and grinding. There are times when you couldn’t see any space at all between the cars. On any given Saturday night, there are up to 10 street stocks that could take the checkered flag.

Mahoning Valley also runs late models, 4-cylinder stock cars that are mainly Ford Pintos and dirt modifieds on asphalt. They also have special classes most weeks. The speedway’s gates open every Saturday at 4:00 and racing begins promptly at 6:00. Most weeks you’ll be heading for home before 10:00. I  like to get there early and eat some of the food in my picnic basket while the race cars come in.

One of the best things about Mahoning Valley Speedway is that you can bring your picnic coolers full of food and beverages meaning that a night at the races will cost your family much less than a ballgame or other sporting event. Another family friendly feature is that there is no alcohol allowed. Admission to Mahoning Valley Speedway ranges from $12 for regular shows to $20 for the 100 lap modified races. Students, seniors and active military receive a $2 discount and children 10 and under are always free. Pack your picnic backpack and head for Mahoning Valley Speedway very soon. You’ll be glad you did.

Do you have any idea how many NASCAR racing skeptics are complaining about Tony Stewart’s decision to leave Joe Gibbs Racing to so he could be an owner and driver and with an “also ran” team to boot ? What is going on with Tony?

Tony Stewart left an incredible winning NASCAR racing team with a record of 33 races won and 2 championships. He is now owner and driver with a team that barely has 5 top finishes since 2003. It was 1999 when Stewart won rookie of the year award at the Winston Cup Series while driving with Joe Gibbs Racing, which is where he started in 1998.

It only took 8 races for Stewart to shut down the critics simply by winning 6 of them in the top ten. Right now he is fourth in the Sprint Cup standings. This keeps him hanging in there with the NASCAR racing heavy hitters like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

AND Stewart improves every week! At Phoenix, Stewart had his best finish so far in second place. Stewart is favored to win at the Talladega Super Speedway. If Stewart wins that NASCAR race, he would be the first driver to win a race in a car that he owns since 1998, when Ricky Rudd won at Martinsville. That would be an incredible feat for Stewart.

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Tony Stewart claims a position in the top 5 in Sprint Cup championship standings as well as with average running position and driver ratings. Stewart Haas Racing is and Hendrick Motorsports are sharing some resources, a real powerhouse team. Naturally they are doing so well so early in this season of NASCAR racing.

Ryan Newman, Stewart’s teammate, has not been as successful. Yet the team has improved immensely since the season began. It was a shaky start, after only the 4th race, in Atlanta; Newman nearly lost his place in the top 35 of the Sprint Cup owner’s standings. Ryan Newman is number 17 now and looking to be 12 soon. Ryan Newman had top ten finishes at Bristol and Martinsville. Newman saw potential in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR racing ideas at Stewart Haas Racing and made the career choice to join his team. Sure, it was a risk to leave Penske Racing. Back in 2000 Newman started racing stock cars with Penske Racing part time for the ARCA series. He won 13 races including one Daytona 500.

Right now Stewart Haas Racing is looking good with a lot of good management and experience on this NASCAR racing team. It also helps to have great crew chiefs like Darian Grubb and Tony Gibson. Bobby Hutchens and Matt Borland fill out the team. Hutchens came to the team from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Matt Borland has been with Newman back in his days at Penske Racing.

With no one else directing his career path, Stewart seems more at ease. As long as he is pleased with the effort and results, there will be no inner qualms. He feels like a win is on the horizon for Stewart Haas Racing. And so do a lot of NASCAR racing fans in the stands.

Are you searching for something different to do summer? Are you sick of paying too much for tickets to your favorite sporting event? Would you rather tailgate than spend a bunch of money on food at the stadium? If you answered yes to any of these questions, pack up your grill tools and take in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.

When most people think of NASCAR, they think of the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series or the Camping World Truck Series. There is another NASCAR series out there where the racing is more exciting than any of these. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was established in 1985 and races at some of the  most well known short tracks in the Country. This year, the Whelen Modified Tour has a 14 race schedule that includes tracks as short as the ¼ mile Riverhead Raceway in Long Island and as long as the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. This year, the Modified Tour will also be going to the high banked Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for the first time ever.

The cars, themselves, look nothing like the cars you’re used to seeing on tv. They are lightweight, open-wheeled (meaning they have no fenders) cars that weigh about 2,600 pounds and use 15 inch wide slick tires. The NASCAR Whelen Modified cars are much lower to the ground and slicker than the the race cars you’re used to. While they carry names like Monte Carlo, the only part that is required to be stock is the roof. They have a 107 inch wheelbase and get their power from small block V-8 engines that are capable of creating up to 600 horsepower.

Several of the biggest names in NASCAR over the past 20 years, including the Bodine brothers, Jimmy Spencer and Steve Park started their racing careers in modified cars. In addition, several of today’s NASCAR stars including Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman have driven Whelen modifieds either on Sprint Cup off weekends or when the Sprint Cup and Whelen Modified Tour meet up for race weekends at Loudon.

Most of the Whelen Modified Tour races are staged in a single day. However, there are several chances to spend a weekend with the NASCAR modifieds. The season begins each April at the Thompson Speedway in CT with a weekend of racing called the Icebreaker and culminates with the World Series of Short Track Racing also at Thompson. Free camping is available at both of these events so pack your picnic cooler and barbecue tools and have a great time with the NASCAR Whelen Modifed Tour!

Millions of people love cars and millions love collecting, so it is no surprise that car collecting is a very popular hobby. Buying and storing the full size versions can be a bit pricey which is why so many set their sights not lower, but smaller and collect models. Collect 1:24 or even 1:64 size and they do not take up nearly as much room and there's no gas.

One of the biggest niches in the NASCAR diecast collectible market is for NASCAR replicas. The sport that started with bootleggers trying to outrun the local authorities has grown into a multi-billion dollar enterprise with millions of fans who come from all walks of life. These75 million Nascar fans buy 3 billion dollars worth of official Nascar merchandise every year. This kind of loyalty and dedication to the sport makes not for casual consumers but for serious buyers.

Most NASCAR Diecast car collectors have a favorite driver and center their collection around his cars. It might be Dale Jr. or it might be Jeff Gordon, but don’t bother trying to change a diehard fans mind about who is the best. Other collectors might be fans of a particular car manufacturer and select models the cars that they build. This could quickly lead to a larger collection for someone who decided they wanted all the Fords or all the Dodges.

Understanding the nature of this market, NASCAR has been sure to license its products for a range of different priced cars. The smaller 1:64 size are affordable as toys for children that are meant to be played with, which, of course, means abused. For the more serious collector, things start with the 1:24 size. These die-casts have an impressive level of detail as they try to exactly replicate the look of the flashy racecars.

Most of the 1:24 scale cars, which are about 8 inches in length, have hoods and doors that open to expose detailed engine compartments and car interiors. The standard line of cars can be found at any number of online retailers, a quick Google search will yield dozens. NascarDiecast.com offers resources but they can also be found on EBay and Amazon in new and used conditions. Of course, any damage to the car would severely reduce its value, so be careful if buying used.

Beyond 1:24, there are 1:18 size cars as well with even more details. The market for these cars is much smaller precisely because the cars are not. Their larger size makes them significantly more expensive and also difficult to store for a fan with a growing collection.

For serious Nascar Diecast collectors, the interest lies not in the standard line of cars which come out every season, but in the special limited edition models that are released when a driver runs a special painted car for a single race, like the All Star Race. These limited edition models start at significantly higher price points, but also appreciate faster because of their relative scarcity.