NASCAR’s official diecast partner, Lionel Racing, announced a price increase in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent 54% tariff rise on Chinese imports. A document discovered by Sports Business Journal states that the toy car manufacturer is raising prices by up to 29%. Since 2010, NASCAR has granted Lionel Racing a license to produce diecast racecars. The company manufactures NASCAR automobiles in 1:24 and 1:64 size, including race-winning models with unique design elements like confetti and any damage. The normal 1:24-scale race-winning diecasts will increase by 18% (from $85 to $99.95 SRP) on April 9. The premium version of these diecasts, on the other hand, is expected to rise by 29% (from $120 to $155 SRP).
In a prior email (via SBJ), Lionel CEO Howard Hitchcock discussed the soaring prices: “The additional 34% tariff announced Wednesday, April 2, by the Trump administration means Lionel will be paying a 54 percent tariff on imported die-cast beginning April 9.” Since our company’s primary business model is pre-order, we are assessing our pricing strategy because this higher tariff rate will have a big impact on our operations moving forward. On April 4, we started informing wholesale clients about changes to the Race-Win die-cast price. There will be more price changes soon.
Denny Hamlin’s #11 Toyota Camry is the newest race-winning vehicle in Lionel’s inventory. The veteran Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s second victory of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season came at Darlington Raceway when he won the Goodyear 400. The #11 Toyota was painted in a retro tribute to Carl Edwards’ Office Depot livery from 2006. Many anticipated that Hamlin would backflip off his racecar, as Edwards is known to do when he celebrates victories. The 44-year-old acknowledged that he was not as athletic as his former JGR comrade, but he refused to attempt.
NASCAR president: “We are obviously going to watch very closely”
In response to the Trump administration’s tariff hike Steve Phelps, president of NASCAR, offered his thoughts on how the sport is being affected by the new tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump government.
Since the repercussions are yet unknown, Phelps stated that the stock car racing league is keeping a careful eye on the situation. The Sports Business Journal said that the Next-Gen automobile uses parts that are sourced from outside the United States. The most recent tariff rise should impact the entire grid because teams are purchasing parts from the same suppliers. Phelps stated via Hauler Talk [1:07:34] that “it’s something that we are obviously going to watch very closely and I’m sure the folks (at other teams) are having discussions (about).” Steve Phelps also talked about the effects of the 25% tariff on automobiles built outside of the US, specifically with regard to stock car celebrities who own automobile companies, such as Rick Hendrick. The NASCAR chief is unsure of the course of events, but he assured that they are keeping an eye on it.
“I spoke with Rick Hendrick, and it’s clear that the tariffs have an impact on his base business. He doesn’t know what it looks like for him, but you can sure he keeps an eye on it every day, and we do the same,” he continued. A number of league drivers are sponsored by Rick Hendrick’s Hendrick Automotive Group. Notably, Kyle Larson’s #5 Chevrolet Camaro frequently features the dealership owned by the head of Hendrick Motorsports.
