NASCAR or any sport for that matter, is physically intangible to their audiences and fans. However, things like collectibles add a layer of tangibility to the sport. In NASCAR’s case, these are called diecasts. It’s NASCAR’s attempt to give fans the feeling of owning a piece of their beloved sport. However, in the case of 23XI, Denny Hamlin did not let it pass.

In 2023, Denny Hamlin refused to allow Lionel Racing to make diecasts of their ‘Jump Man’ series cars. When asked the reason, he talked about it being against company policy. So fast forward into one year, what changed? Why are 23XI fans suddenly ‘Jumping’?

Tyler Reddick’s Jump Man car is on preorder

Lionel Racing partnered with NASCAR in 2010 to make miniature cars that fans can collect. The company makes diecasts of all NASCAR teams, except for one, the 23XI. The team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin refused to come in partnership with Lionel Racing. 

A huge controversy erupted last year when Hamlin refused to give 23XI’s Jump Man cars as diecasts. Fans then did not appreciate Hamlin’s move and asked for an explanation. Then, Hamlin had said, “The cars would carry logos of companies that have policies around not being available in mass retail. It’s a brand thing.” What was understood from this was that Hamlin and Co. are trying to project their brand as being very ‘exclusive’.

The big question now is- why is Tyler Reddick’s Jump Man car available on Lionel Racing’s website? Who gave them the green signal to break the exclusivity persona? There are a lot of unknowns in this. But the good news is that fans can now own Reddick’s Jump Man diecast. It has a paint scheme which was loved by fans.

Amidst this discussion, Bubba Wallace fans are probably wondering, what about us?

In July this year, Mc-Donalds and 23XI revealed a Jujutsu Kaisen-themed car for the #23 driver. The paint scheme on that car had left both fans and haters in awe. The car boasts a black colorway, with streaks of red lightning adorning every corner. On the door, anime fans can find an image of Sukuna, one of the anime’s main protagonists. Wouldn’t it be cool to own a diecast of that model? Sadly, you can’t. It would have probably been a profitable venture as it had created a huge hype. Such theme-based cars are great as collectibles.

23XI’s official stand on their Jump Man diecasts is yet to come. On the other hand, NASCAR has the creative juices flowing as they are set to launch a new collection.

NASCAR expands diecasts collection

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Whoever knows NASCAR knows that the popular Disney-Pixar movie ‘Cars’ series was inspired from NASCAR’s racing culture. Honoring that, recently NASCAR announced a new partnership with the film studio and Mattel to create a new collection. The collaboration will now allow fans to collect diecasts of their favorite NASCAR drivers who appeared in the latest Cars movie. Like that of Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, and others.

On the new collaboration, Megan Malayter, managing director of licensing and consumer products at NASCAR said, “NASCAR’s continued collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s beloved Cars franchise provides incredible opportunities to engage the next generation of race fans and introduce them to real NASCAR stars in a fun, familiar way,”

Diecasts are a great way to engage with fans. They can also help teams reach a completely new fanbase. In shying away from riding this trend of collectibles, 23xI’s move to preserve exclusivity can prove to be counterproductive. Which ones are you excited for in the new collection? Let us know in the comments below.