HOMETOWN ROADWAY® WOODEN TRACK SYSTEM
LAUNCHING AT ZANY BRAINY STORES
Glen Ellyn, Ill. (JULY 8, 2002)-From the McDonald's Drive-thru
restaurant to the Texaco service station . . . from a Chevrolet
Corvette to a Chrysler PT Cruiser . . . the new Hometown Roadway
system from Racing Champions Ertl (NASDAQ:RACN) is being launched
at Zany Brainy stores nationwide. Hometown Roadway is a reality-based
wooden roadway system complete with vehicles, road packs, buildings,
bridges, and playsets that are compatible with existing wood train
sets.
According to Greg Miller, Vice President of Marketing for Racing
Champions Ertl, "Wooden track systems have been kids' favorites
for years, but until now, most of them were train- or fantasy-based.
Our Hometown Roadway licensing agreements with major vehicle manufacturers,
including Ford, GM, Chrysler, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson, allow
us to offer wooden playset versions of real-life vehicles. Even
our buildings will be licensed by well-known brands such as Texaco,
McDonald's, and Pez. The result is that youngsters will be able
to create realistic neighborhoods that include all the elements
of their own hometowns."
The sets are safe and durable, with quality hardwood construction
and magnetic connectors for added play value. Product plans for
Zany Brainy in 2002 include more than fifteen vehicles, nine different
road packs, three bridges and tunnels, five buildings, and three
playsets.
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 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.
