What do Dale Earnhardt Jr., Duck Dynasty, and a Chevrolet from 1989 have in common? All three made it onto this years list of best-selling die-cast, which was announced today by Lionel Racing, The Official Die-Cast of NASCAR. While the stock cars changed dramatically in 2013, one thing that remained the same was Earnhardts popularity among die-cast collectors. Earnhardt occupied not just the first, but the top three spots on the best-sellers list. His #88 National Guard Chevrolet was the best-selling 1:24 scale die-cast car of the year, while his Diet Mountain Dew and National Guard/Man of Steel cars followed in second and third positions, respectively. ‘Every year it holds true, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a fan favorite among collectors and those who spend their hard-earned discretionary income on NASCAR merchandise’ said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President and General Manager of Lionel Racing. ‘His National Guard/ Man of Steel die-cast was our best-selling special paint scheme of the year, and his primary paint schemes outpaced the field by a wide margin.” For the first time, Clint Bowyer made Lionels Top 10 with the PEAK/Duck Dynasty Toyota Camry that he raced at Watkins Glen. ‘This car was a bona fide hit with NASCAR fans’ Hitchcock said. ‘Bowyer and Duck Dynasty are a perfect match and that combination resulted in one of the most sought after collectibles of the year.” An offering from Lionel Racings NASCAR Classics line also made the cut. Coming in tenth was a raced version of the Chevy that Dale Earnhardt won in at Wilkesboro in 1989 – his last win in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ‘This is one of those historic die-cast that you cant believe was never made before’ Hitchcock said. ‘We replicated the car Earnhardt won in at Wilkesboro with the scratches and scuffs that were on his actual car after the race. Its one of my favorite NASCAR Classics offerings to date.” The Top 10 Die-Cast Cars of 2013 are listed below. For images and a slideshow detailing the story behind each car and a list of best-selling drivers, please visit www.lionelnascar.com/top10 . 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 National Guard Chevy 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevy 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 National Guard/Man of Steel Chevy 4. Tony Stewart #14 Bass Pro Shops Chevy 5. Jeff Gordon #24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevy 6. Danica Patrick #10 GoDaddy Chevy 7. Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford 8. Jeff Gordon #24 Cromax Pro Chevy 9. Clint Bowyer #15 PEAK/Duck Dynasty Toyota 10. Dale Earnhardt #3 1989 Wilkesboro Win Chevy ( Lionel Racing )
