Press Pass® Puts It All Together In Stealth 2003

August 29, 2003 Charlotte, N.C. - The tradition continues in Press Pass Stealth 2003 with an interactive base card design and a look that takes NASCAR trading cards to another level. The 72-card base set will feature trios of top drivers and their cars. When sleeved in plastic sheets, the three-card backs form an oversized image of the car.

"The puzzle design element for Stealth has held strong since the set was first introduced in 1998. This look, along with fun and innovative insert designs, has become a popular part of the Stealth identity," explained Mandy Kirkland, Product Manager for Press Pass, a division of RC2 (NASDAQ: RCRC). "The Press Pass product team always looks forward to developing and engineering Stealth. We hope that collectors have as much fun putting this set together as we have had creating it."

Press Pass Stealth 2003 showcases Gear Grippers race-used glove cards (1:180) featuring NASCAR Winston Cup's top drivers, continuing the event-used memorabilia card tradition which was first pioneered by Press Pass in 1996. In addition, collectors can look for Top Prospects (1:124 hobby only) which features race-used memorabilia cards of up-and-coming NASCAR Busch Series driver who are sure to be NASCAR's most promising Winston Cup recruits.

Inserts include the all-foil, foil stamped progressive insert, Supercharged (1:48 to 1:168 packs); Profile, a plastic foil stamped insert (1:24 packs); Fusion, a holofoil insert that illustrates the training that is endured for NASCAR Winston Cup's best (1:12 packs); EFX, an all-foil insert that explains how twelve drivers keep their cool in the season's hottest months. Collectors can look for the Dale Earnhardt "10th Anniversary" insert with silver foil stamping (1:72) plus a special hobby only gold foil version sequentially numbered to 250. No Boundaries, the series' set-within-a-set, will feature the top 25 drivers on a special die-cut "shards" patterned holofoil (1:1).

The award-winning year-long Press Pass Signings program which began with Press Pass Premium in April continues in Stealth with three distinct levels of autographs. Collectors can expect to find autographs of top drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, and Jimmie Johnson. Press Pass Signings are available in three versions: Silver Signings found in both hobby and retail (1:84 hobby, 1:196 retail), plastic TRANS Signings sequentially numbered to 100 (hobby and retail), and Gold Signings, hobby only and sequentially numbered to 50.

Continuing in Press Pass Stealth is the Year-Long Total Memorabilia Program offering collectors Double Burner (hobby only) and Triple Burner (retail only) multi-piece memorabilia cards featuring race-used memorabilia from Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Stewart, and all the top superstars of NASCAR.

Racing Champions Ertl (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 offerings include 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 its products by linking them with highly recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Case, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Hit 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.