The totals have been calculated. The top selling NASCAR die-cast list from Lionel has been released and the name filling the most spots should come as little surprise. Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues his reign as NASCAR’s most marketable driver.
Earnhardt’s No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet was the best-selling 1:24 scale die-cast of the year. In addition to the top spot, Earnhardt also claimed spots two and four.
“Dale Jr. is still the most influential personality in the sport, so we weren’t surprised to see his Diet Mountain Dew car pop to the top of our bestsellers list,” said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President and General Manager of Lionel NASCAR Collectables.
“Plus, when Dale won in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ car at Michigan, it really delivered a knockout punch from a sales perspective. The Raced Win version of that die-cast clinched our runner-up spot.”
Danica Patrick’s No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet die-cast was also a hit in 2012, ending the year at third place on the list. An authentic replica of Patrick’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride, the die-cast was in high demand.
“The great thing about our business is that when you look at our sales at the end of the year, it really tells the story of what happened in the sport,” Hitchcock said.
“The popularity of Danica’s first Cup car is a great example of that, and so is the fact that Brad Keselowski’s champ die-cast made our top 10. It just shows that fans are excited about the energy Brad has brought to NASCAR.”
For the second year in a row, a NASCAR Classics die-cast also made the cut. Released in April, Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which he wheeled in 1989, took the eighth spot.
The Top 10 Die-Cast Cars of 2012 are listed below.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/“The Dark Knight Rises” Chevrolet – Michigan win car
- Danica Patrick No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/“The Dark Knight Rises” Chevrolet – standard car
- Jeff Gordon No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet
- Kasey Kahne No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
- Jeff Gordon No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
- Dale Earnhardt No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo
- Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet
- Brad Keselowski No. 2 Miller Lite/NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Dodge
