The car will be unveiled at a Hollywood BLOCKBUSTER® store this afternoon at 5:30 pm CST. IndyCar driver Marco Andretti will drive the #26 Indiana Jones-themed car at the Indianapolis 500 on May 25th.  “Both Indiana Jones and the Indy 500 are legendary,” said Andretti.  “The Indy 500 is the biggest, most exciting race in the world, so it’s the perfect place for Blockbuster and Lucasfilm to celebrate the world’s favorite action hero in his new film."

GreenLight Collectibles will be producing a die-cast replica of the Marco Andretti/Indiana Jones Indy Car for Blockbuster.  They will be receiving 2,502 1:18 scale and 18,000 1:64 scale diecast model cars.  The top ½ performing Blockbuster stores will receive one (1) 1:18 car and four (4) 1:64 cars.  They will be for sale in the stores throughout the month of May (starting approx. May 14 or 15).  This Indy Car will also be available through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Maingate.  Only a limited number of these diecast model cars will be available - so don't wait!

In an effort to confirm that White Lightning's were in fact being inserted at the correct rate, our Hong Kong office suggested that the White Lightning cases be marked. For obvious reasons, many of which you've touched upon, we didn't want the cases marked. Unfortunately, the factory didn't get that message and 1 days worth of cases were marked. This has been resolved and we can let the hunt begin once again.

I want to reassure each and every Johnny Lightning collector that White Lightnings make up 1% of the production run and are randomly inserted at the factory. Once they arrive in our warehouse, the product is shipped using an automated shipping system. There is no way we could monitor or control who gets what inventory, as the entire process is random.

Despite early problems with a bent upright and engineelectrical problems that sidelined the FJ Cruiser for more than four hours, the Raider’s lead stood at 20 minutes with only 100miles to go. Riding next to Ryan Millen, Adam Dupre radioed to the team that they were going after the Raider. Ryan pushed the FJ Cruiser to its limits and despite runningin the Raider’s thick dust eventually caught the Raider 15 miles from the finish.

“We got down to the bottom of the summit… and I had caught him at that point,” remarked Ryan about his drive to catch and pass the Raider. “He obviously knew it was us. He would not move over. I got up and kind of tapped him once… and he wouldn’t move over. I finally just took the big risk and went over the big bumps. I hit him so hard that he had no choice. We got by him and just went for it, as hard as we could.”

After racing for 34 hours, 37 minutes, and 18 seconds the FJ Cruiser crossed the finish line in La Paz a minuteahead of the Raider, but needed a minute and a half to overcome the start line interval. The finish, the closestStock-Mini class finish ever, netted the FJ Cruiser second place a mere 34 seconds behind the Raider. The FJ Cruiser finished a full two hours ahead of the GM factory effort, the Hummer H3 driven by the legendary RodHall, and more than eight hours ahead of the factory Honda Ridgeline.

OFFICIAL Results from 2006 SCORE Baja 1000
STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini Trucks)
1. Dan Fresh, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Sean Douglass/Dale Godges, Irvine, Calif., Mitsubishi Raider, 34:36:44. (30.27mph race avg.)
2. Rod Millen/Ryan Millen, Newport Beach, Calif., Adam Dupre, Tustin, Calif., Toyota FJ Cruiser, 34:37:18
3. Rod Hall, Reno, Nev./Emily Miller, Crested Butte, Colo./Mike Winkel, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3, 36:37:174. Gavin Skilton, Orange, Calif./Kevin Jensen, Apple Valley, Calif./Clive Skilton, Orange, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 42:51:25
(6 Starters, 4 Finishers)

Gateway Global, Inc., parent company of AUTOart will be faithfully reproducing the Millenworks Toyota FJ Cruier in detailed 1:18 scale diecast metal. AUTOart Diecast Model No. 80716 is expected to arrive in US stores in late April, 2008.

Your annual membership includes:

• 1:64 Scle Limited Edition Diecast 1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda in Lime Light Green - Limited to the First 1,000 Members
• An Exclusive Under-the-Hood Keychain
• A Personalized Membership Card 
• Exclusive Club Cars and Merchandise Available Only to UTH Members
• Direct Access to GreenLight Staff and Other UTH Members
• You Call the Shots on UTH's Advisory Board! Be an Integral Part in GreenLight Toys' Decision Making Process.
• Behind the Scenes! Top-secret, Classified Information for Members Eyes Only!
• Win First Shots, Pre-Production Samples and Much, Much More!
  
• Sign up now for only $24.95/yr!
  

This collaborative promotion was manufactured by GreenLight Collectibles, a premier manufacturer and marketer of officially licensed, authentic die-cast replica vehicles. In 2007, GreenLight Collectibles produced five distinct product lines: Muscle Car Garage™, Corvette® Collection™, Pace Car Garage™, IndyCar® Series Garage™ and Auction Block™. For 2008, the company has expanded to twelve distinct product lines. GreenLight die-cast replicas are available 1:18, 1:24 and 1:64 scale models and are officially licensed by General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Shelby, the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Champ Car World Series and Grand-Am Road Racing Association. To learn more about GreenLight Collectibles visit: www.greenlighttoys.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (March 28, 2008) The 2008 IndyCar Series season gets underway this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Saturday at 8:00pm, ESPN2) with fan excitement and anticipation at an all-time high.  2008 has already been a historic year for the IndyCar Series with the merger between the IndyCar Series and Champ Car World Series, not to mention the announcement that 26 cars would be taking the green flag at Homestead-Miami.

“Collaborating with Mattel on the jeweled Hot Wheels car was a dream project for me,” said Jason Arasheben, president & CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills. “The car is truly spectacular and will be a brilliant addition to anyone’s collection.”

The vehicle was unveiled by multi-platinum recording artist and car enthusiast, Nick Lachey, who grew up playing with the die-cast car line. In late 2008, this unique Hot Wheels® vehicle will be auctioned off to benefit Lachey’s charity of choice, Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“Since its introduction, Hot Wheels has revolutionized boys’ toys and inspired automotive trends,” said Tim Kilpin, general manager and senior vice president, Boys and Entertainment, Mattel Brands. “The historic activities we have planned are a fitting tribute to the brand’s heritage and will allow us, and our fans, to celebrate this milestone year in true Hot Wheels style.”

In 2008, Hot Wheels® will honor the partners that have helped make the brand successful and will take to the road to celebrate the brand’s heritage with its faithful fans. These activities include:

Hot Wheels® Designer’s Challenge™

For the first time in its history, Mattel went outside of its in-house design team to seek new car designs and to honor the automotive partners that attributed to the success of Hot Wheels® cars over the years. Car designers from Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Lotus and Mitsubishi designed their version of a Hot Wheels® concept car based on the brand’s attributes of speed, power, performance and attitude. Each submitted design was created in a 1:5-scale model and unveiled this past October at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. In late March the 1:64-scale versions will be available at retailers nationwide as part of the Designer’s Challenge™ product line.

“I’ve been involved in multimillion-dollar concept car designs but not everyone can relate to these kinds of projects,” said Amaury Diaz Serrano, creative designer, General Motors. “But, everyone can relate to a Hot Wheels. Regardless of age, race or background, everyone has fond memories of playing with them. To be able to design for Hot Wheels is the closest I will ever get to winning an Oscar.”

Hot Wheels® Cross-Country Road Trip

This summer, fans across the country will be invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary as Hot Wheels® travels Highway 40 to bring together automotive enthusiasts of all ages. Kicking off at Mattel’s headquarters in El Segundo in mid-August, the road trip will make stops at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah; Speed, KS; Indianapolis; and Detroit, before culminating in a grand finale celebration on September 5 in Watkins Glen, NY, home to American road racing. There, Hot Wheels® will partner with the Grand Prix Festival of Watkins Glen, to participate in the annual celebratory kick-off event honoring the history of the town and race track.

At each road trip stop, Hot Wheels® will host a free event that will be open to the public. Each event will feature life-size Hot Wheels® cars, kiosks where people can create their own custom Hot Wheels® “drivers license,” family-friendly activities, and the opportunity to receive a commemorative 1:64-scale Hot Wheels® car created especially for each stop, available in limited quantities.

“40 years. 4 billion cars. It is a year of exciting milestones for Hot Wheels,” said Geoff Walker, vice president, Wheels Marketing, Mattel Brands. “We just can’t wait to get on the road to celebrate with the millions that share the Hot Wheels passion.”

For information on Hot Wheels® and its 40th anniversary activities, cruise over to www.hotwheels.com/40th.

Indianapolis, IN (March 24, 2008) It will not be easy for collectors to get their hands on the latest new series from GreenLight Collectibles!  GreenLight’s Black Bandit Series 1 sold out to Greenlight Distributors before it arrived in the United States.  The immediate sellout makes the initial release of the Black Bandit series the best selling line for GreenLight thus far in 2008.  The limited production run of 4,032 per car does not seem like enough for this highly anticipated series, making the cars extremely limited and very hard to track down.

I was shocked yesterday to find the Dukes model reincarnated in the Ertl Authentics line, boasting a brand new mold, limited run of 5,000 pieces, correct door hinges (now that's real crucial!), and an overall higher level of detail throughout. But what caught my eye was the price tag. $74.99! I repeat: $74.99! As if I had any intention of actually buying one, I looked the model over carefully and quickly found rear wheels at an odd angle and the driver's side door not hung properly. In fact, every piece in the case I opened was exactly the same: obvious and noticable flaws!

"Is it just me or is it a sad day in the diecast hobby world when a worn-out old car with zero collectable value and neglible quality garners $75? Oh wait, I forgot! The door hinges are now correct and the seat belts are made out of cloth. In that case, I'll take three!"

Any experienced diecast collector recognizes that some pieces are worth their asking price and more based simply on authenticity and detail, ie. Lane Exact Detail and Exoto. But does slapping an 'Authetics' logo on the packaging and some (fake) carpeting in the trunk justify a $75 price tag? I'll admit that I was excited to hear about this release and was anticipating a higher cost to go along with the new features. But the product does not justify the cost and that's a fact. What really amazes me is that RC2 felt that the market would consume 5,000 pieces of the Authentics version while competing with unlimited numbers of the American Muscle line in regular, dirty, and movie car versions.

I can't help but feel disappointed with this diecast release and would hope that the serious collectors who have an interest in the future of the hobby will decide to pass on this one. No one can argue that limited edition runs of high-quality pieces are good for the hobby, but $75 for a hum-ho Ertl is absurd. Five years ago this model would have gone for not a penny over $40 - which is about what it's worth.

The 19th annual Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous® is set for September 18–21, 2008 in downtown San Bernardino, California. Mark your calendar to attend the largest cruisin’ classic car show and the largest automotive celebration of the historic Route 66 Highway.

Registration is limited to 1,900 pre-1974 classics, customs, hot rods and other vehicles, which will receive an assigned reserved parking space for the 4-day event. Vehicles cruise a 36-block area of downtown San Bernardino with over 500,000 spectators enjoying the beautiful cars, food, vendors, sponsor displays and live entertainment.

The Contests are always a hit as registered vehicles can participate in the Neon Light, Open Header, and San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino Poker Run Contest. The Burnout Contest on Saturday at the Orange Show Speedway is always an event that brings the crowd to their feet. The Burnout is open to registered vehicles along with the general public. Back by popular demand for the third year is the Model Car Contest on Saturday. The general public is invited to participate and enter a model into one of several categories to be judged. The Stater Bros. Court Street Stage is a blast to the past with four-days and three-nights of live entertainment ranging from rock-a-billy to 50’s & 60’s rock ‘n roll music.

Visit the Route 66 Website for more information and photo gallery!

Thomas E. Lowe, President and Owner of Round 2, is now assembling a team of knowledgeable plastic model and die-cast specialists who are excited about this license opportunity and passionate about reintroducing these brands to their respective communities. Lowe states, “Our goal is to bring back many sought after vintage kits of all types from the AMT and MPC tooling banks, some that haven’t been available for decades. We've recruited model kit expert and creative designer John Greczula from Retro Hobby, Inc. to work with us. The American Muscle tooling bank has great potential, too, and Craig Flickinger, who was the Product Manager for American Muscle for several years, is on board to ensure that collectors are kept as priority one. Using our own production facilities, we will have the capability to adjust quantities of the model and die cast lines to satisfy market demand. We will not rely solely on old tooling, but will develop new tools as well.”

Further, Lowe states, “2008 is going to be a roller coaster ride for us as we prepare our game plan and get things moving. There is an incredible amount of information to be absorbed and organization that must take place. We understand the modeling and die-cast markets have changed and that several large mass-retail chains are beginning to turn their backs on stocking these products. We will try and slow that down by introducing new and innovative products, hopefully enticing them to support our brands. I learned a lot when I ran my previous company, Playing Mantis, and I intend to use all of my knowledge and contacts to the maximum. For me, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Tom Lowe and RC2 Brands, Inc. are no strangers to each other. Lowe, an entrepreneur known for his expertise in collectible automotive subject matter, sold his first company, Playing Mantis, Inc. to RC2 in 2004. Lowe founded Playing Mantis in 1994 and resurrected the classic Johnny Lightning brand, producing small-scale die-cast replicas and electric slot cars catering to the adult collector. Enthusiastic response resulted in phenomenal growth of the brand, and spurred Lowe to venture into other areas, including Polar Lights plastic model kits and Memory Lane seasonal product.

Round 2 was established by Lowe in 2005 and reintroduced electric slot cars under the Auto World brand, an iconic hobby catalog trademark which Lowe purchased from Auto World’s founder, Oscar Koveleski.

Round 2 is an innovative collectibles company located in South Bend, Indiana. Its family of brands includes Auto World, currently featuring X-Traction, ThunderJet and Super III 1:64 scale electric slot racers and racing sets; Forever Fun Holiday Collectibles, featuring detailed recreations of favorite holiday characters and EarthGlow Candles, featuring unique licensed candles and candle toppers. Round 2 is proud to add AMT, MPC and Polar Lights model kits, American Muscle and Ertl Collectibles die-cast to its portfolio of brands.