Press Pass ® to preview Optima 2002 base cards on www.eBaySports.com

October 7 , 2002 Charlotte, N.C - - Press Pass is teaming with eBay Sports to offer collectors a sneak peak at the much-anticipated new trading card release, Press Pass Optima 2002.

Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 8, collectors visiting www.ebay.com/nascar will be able to bid on extremely rare preview versions of cards featuring more than 40 Winston Cup and Busch Series drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. In total, Press Pass will make 250 preview cards available for bidding in preparation for Optima 2002's release to retail and specialty stores beginning Oct. 15.

"We're excited about the impending release of Optima 2002, and we wanted to share that excitement with collectors and racing fans through these special preview events on eBay, '' said Tom Farrell, Director of Marketing for Press Pass, a division of Racing Champions (Nasdaq: RACN).

The Press Pass items feature 5 unique versions of Optima's 50-card base set. Each card is sequentially numbered (1 of 5, 2 of 5, etc.) and features a red foil treatment created especially for the preview events. A total of 44 drivers are featured, including 14 Busch Series competitors.

"We're pleased to work with Press Pass to promote the release of Optima 2002,'' said Jon Fitch, senior category manager for eBay Sports. "Racing collectibles are among the hottest growth areas on eBay, and we anticipate plenty of action as race fans bid on their favorite drivers' Optima preview cards.''

To follow the action, visit http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/tcprevue. For more information on Press Pass Optima 2002, visit www.rcertl.com or visit your local sports collectible retailer.

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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