Newly upgraded Team Caliber die-cast available
By Van Cox, Special to Turner Sports Interactive
January 30, 2002
3:21 PM EST (2021 GMT)
Frontrunning NASCAR teams maintain their advantage by constantly working to improve their programs -- never resting on their laurels or dwelling on past successes.
The top manufacturers of NASCAR die-cast collectibles subscribe to that same theory. Case in point: Team Caliber. Just a few short years ago, Team Caliber was the new kid on the die-cast block. Today, the Mooresville, N.C.,-based subsidiary of Roush Industries looms as one of the heaviest hitters in the collectibles arena.
The company's success in a brutally competitive market can be attributed to the fact that Team Caliber is continually striving to upgrade an already award-winning product line.
Team Caliber has fine-tuned its entire lineup with amenities that are guaranteed to impress even the most discriminating collector.
OWNERS SERIES
Team Caliber's top-of-the-line Owners Series, named Die-cast Car of the Year by Beckett's Racing Monthly in 2000, is back with nearly a dozen improvements to its profile. New features added to the 1:24 scale Owners Series include:
* Safety netting on the top right side of the driver's seat
* Tethers attached to roof flaps
* New shock detailing for better authenticity
* New hood and trunk tether design
* Colored lug nuts on wheels that are painted to meet specifications
* Authentic-looking skirt rivets
* Scuffed tires
* Added decoration to fuel cell
* Metal shift lever and steering column
* Model specific engine details (For example, the differing Ford and Chevrolet alternators)
* Grille pieces that match the car in black or gray
"Every year we take a look at just what we can add to our collectibles to make them better," said Team Caliber's Randy Duncan.
"We go through a tremendous amount of planning to determine just how much we can add to a car and still hold our price point in the market. The scuffed tires are probably the most noticeable upgrade on the 2002 Owner Series. They really enhance the authenticity. We've also added quite a bit of new plumbing. We took a car that was already top-notch and made it even better."
Of course, the Owners Series has already been blessed with features like an all die-cast chassis and floor plan, fully functional coil spring suspension, functional roof flaps and hood panels, finely detailed instrumentation and much, much more. To insure long-term collectibility, Owners Series replicas are produced in very limited quantities.
Another addition to the 2002 Owners Series 1:24 scale program is an accompanying medallion that includes driver specifics.
Brand new for 2002 is the 1:24 Owner Series Dark Chrome Finish edition. A deep, rich chrome finish adorned with a full complement of authentic graphics punctuates this series. The Dark Chrome collection replaces both the Gold and Steel series, and is an extremely limited edition series.
The 2002 Owners Series 1:24 scale bank and 1:64 scale car are much the same as last year's models -- both highly coveted among collectors.
PREFERRED SERIES
Even Team Caliber's tried-and-true mid-priced Preferred Series gets a little gentle massaging for 2002. Most notable enhancements are advanced shock detailing and model specific engine detail. The 2002 Preferred Series also boasts wheels that are painted on the inside and painted lug nuts.
Traits that already made the Preferred Series one of the industry's top sellers include: detailed instrumentation, fuel cell-mounted scoring sensor, functional roof flaps, wire mesh screen on brake ducts, photo-etched grille, die-cast chassis rails with a molded floor pan and two roll cage-mounted radios.
"We are very pleased with the success of the Preferred Series 1:24 scale models in 2001," said Duncan, "and feel our production needed only a little tweaking this year to make it even better."
PIT STOP SERIES
The Team Caliber Pit Stop Series has gained a loyal following among collectors over the past couple of years. This 1:24 and 1:64 scale product line is affordably priced to compete with comparable mass market retail products. However, the series is not distributed through those venues, but is sold through the same channels as the Owners and Preferred series, and also at trackside souvenir vendors.
The 1:24 scale Pit Stop cars offer many features not found on other similarly priced replicas. Some of those features include: Superspeedway body style, opening hood with hood tether templates, detailed engine, soft rubber tires and high quality cosmetics.
The 1:64 scale Pit Stop model receives new packaging this year: a resealable clamshell blister pack. Also included in 2002 is an insert card with team graphics.
"The whole purpose behind developing the Pit Stop Series was to offer an affordably priced collectible for trackside sales," Duncan noted.
"We wanted it to be a step above the other die-cast cars in its price range. The result is a car that has been far more successful than we imagined. It isn't only a popular trackside item, but also well-received through our other venues."
IN THE STORE
The NASCAR.com Store is now offering a full line of 2002 Team Caliber collectibles. About a dozen different drivers and paint schemes are available in a variety of product lines. Here is a sampling of drivers and cars to look for:
* No. 6 Mark Martin Viagra Ford
* No. 6 Mark Martin Kraft Ford (Budweiser Shootout car)
* No. 10 Johnny Benson Valvoline Pontiac
* No. 5 Terry Labonte Kellogg's Chevrolet
* No. 25 Jerry Nadeau UAW Delphi Chevrolet
* No. 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Ford
* No. 99 Jeff Burton Citgo Ford
* No. 21 Elliott Sadler Motorcraft Ford
* No. 17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford
* No. 36 Ken Schrader M&Ms Pontiac
| 
