Which, sadly, probably precludes a lot of the interesting mix-and-match options we could have had if driver, car, and sponsor didn’t have to fit reality. I so wanted to swap out the Tide sponsorship for, say, Monsanto and get the special ability of spewing toxic chemical clouds onto the track. PDF of the release, full text after the jump.
Below is press release text from WizKids.
NASCAR AND WIZKIDS TEAM UP FOR RACE DAY GAME
July 18, 2005 (SEATTLE) — WizKids Inc., creators of the runaway hit games Pirates of the Spanish Main™ and HeroClix®, are proud to announce a licensing agreement with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) for Race Day™, a constructible racing game featuring cars of 22 of the top drivers and cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, including Jimmie Johnson (driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), Jeff Gordon (driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), Tony Stewart (driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet). “We couldn’t be more excited to work with NASCAR on this thrilling game,” said Mike Samora, vice president of Sales and Marketing at WizKids®. “Race Day captures all the excitement of a NASCAR race in an affordable, fun and fast-playing package. Players collect and assemble their favorite cars and play against their friends and family, drafting and “stepping on it” all the way to the checkered flag.” Race Day will be sold in Game Packs (MSRP $3.99) that contain everything two people need to get into the race: two randomly inserted constructible cars, one “resource” card, a set of rules, a die, and a track play mat. There are 30 cars to collect, each with its own special ability and rarity. Players can build their car collections out of additional Game Packs, which will be available wherever trading cards are sold.
About WizKids
Founded by 25-year game-industry veteran Jordan Weisman, WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its Mage Knight®, MechWarrior® and HeroClix® CMGs and Pirates and Rocketmen™ CSGs are among the most successful games on the market today, and the company has sold hundreds of millions of game pieces worldwide. WizKids Inc. is owned by The Topps Company Inc. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.
ABOUT NASCAR Licensing
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, NASCAR, is the sanctioning body for one of America’s premier sports, which is the second highest-rated sport on television and has the most corporate involvement of any major sport. NASCAR sanctions approximately 1,800 races at 120 tracks in 38 states. The licensing division of NASCAR, based in Charlotte, N.C., works with more than 200 licensees nationwide. Overall, NASCAR fans purchased $2.1 billion in NASCAR-licensed merchandise in 2004. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, FL, NASCAR also has offices in Concord, N.C., Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Bentonville, Ark.