Winner Chosen for the Wheels High Gear Flag Chaser 2002 Power Pick Contest

July 8, 2002 - Charlotte, N.C. - The one-of-a-kind Wheels High Gear Flag was recently given away in the Wheels High Gear 2002 Power Pick Contest. The lucky winner is Carl Whalen from Amelia, Ohio. He will receive the custom made flag featuring the Wheels High Gear 2002 logo and 40 NASCAR Winston Cup driver signatures, including such drivers as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Mark Martin. Drivers signed the flag on both the black and white squares using white and black pens respectively.

"From the number of entries received, we have determined that this has been one of our most successful contests, said Heather Maillard, associate product manager for Press Pass, a division of Racing Champions (NASDAQ: RACN). "The Wheels High Gear 2002 Flag is a unique collectible that commemorates the 2002 season with 40 NASCAR Winston Cup drivers signatures, from the hottest rookie contenders Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman to recent retiree Dave Marcus."
Collectors can look for another exciting Wheels High Gear Power Pick Contest when Wheels High Gear 2003 releases next February.

Racing Champions (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at males of all ages. The Company's diverse product offering includes scaled die-cast replicas of John Deere agricultural equipment and NASCAR stock cars, other licensed vehicle replicas, pre-teen toys, sports trading cards, racing apparel and souvenirs, and collectible figures. These products are sold under the Company's market-focused brand names, including Racing Champions®, Ertl®, Ertl Collectibles®, American Muscle™, AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass® and JoyRide Studios™. The Company reinforces its brands and enhances the authenticity of our products by linking them with highly recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Case IH, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Warner Brothers, Gullane Entertainment, Nintendo, Sega and Electronic Arts. The Company's products are marketed through multiple channels of distribution, including mass retailers and specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers, OEM dealers and to corporate accounts for promotional purposes. The Company sells through more than 20,000 retail outlets located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

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