'Justice League' in action at Michigan

The biggest and most-anticipated multi-car special paint scheme promotion of the year hits the race track this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

As previously reported in NASCAR.com Collectibles, The Justice League Racing Weekend Presented by Hot Wheels will pair DC Comics' famed ensemble of superheroes with seven of NASCAR's own heroes for a landmark special paint scheme promotion.

This is by far the most expansive NASCAR-themed special program ever choreographed by Hot Wheels, the brand that pioneered high performance die-cast more than 35 years ago.

"Not only is this event the biggest of the year, it is the biggest special paint scheme promotion in NASCAR history and it is brought to fans by Hot Wheels," said Tony DaDante Vice President and General Manager of Hot Wheels Racing. "I hope everyone is ready for a rumble in the Michigan Hills between the forces of evil and the Hot Wheels Justice League Racing Team. My money is on the good guys."

The Justice League Racing Weekend Presented by Hot Wheels will feature five Roush Racing drivers-Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards--along with Wood Brothers wheel man Ricky Rudd and Penske Racing South's Ryan Newman. Nine cars will be emblazoned with Justice League images; three in Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race and six in Sunday's main event for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Fans will see the likenesses of comic book and TV icons like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and Martian Manhunter circling the two-mile oval at full-throttle.

SUPERSTORE •   Justice League die-casts!

"I think it's going to be exciting for the fans and the team," said Martin, senior member of the Roush organization. "It's funny, but over the years I've always referred to some of my really fast race cars as 'batmobiles' and hopefully that will be the case for a couple of reasons when we race on Saturday and Sunday at Michigan.

"The paint schemes for both the No. 6 Pfizer Batman and the No. 9 Pennzoil/Batman are really cool, and I think they will look great on the track. I know I love the way they look and the guys in the shop think the cars look awesome."

Rudd, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford, sees his pairing with Wonder Woman as a way of paying tribute to a very important segment of the NASCAR fan base.

"When they started handing out characters, I wasn't sure how that was going to work, but I was pleased we were picked to represent Wonder Woman," he noted. "It is a great way to express our appreciation to all the female fans that have supported us over the years. Our fan support is a good percentage of females, so it is good to have the Wonder Woman car. That gives them something to associate with.

"As a child growing up I watched all of the shows, and the Justice League cartoons were big then. It (the special paint scheme program) adds a little twist to it, breaks up the normal routine. It's not every day that you see Wonder Woman represented on a race car. It makes it a lot of fun."

In addition to the cars in competition, a pair of program-themed cars carrying images of arch-villains Lex Luthor and The Joker will participate in pre-race activities.

"We have created a full line of die-cast collectibles to commemorate the Justice League weekend," said Mike Bonoffski, Director of Licensing for Hot Wheels. "One of the coolest offerings includes a Justice League figure and matching 1:64 scale die-cast. The figures are special edition with metallic paint and exclusively decorated just for the Justice League Racing promotion."

Hot Wheels will not only replicate the race cars, but also the event cars, as well as a program-themed "fantasy" transporter. All of those collectibles will be available from retailers and Hot Wheels dealers around the country.

Team Caliber--Hot Wheels' marketing partner--has also created a full line of Justice League die-casts and souvenirs. Those can be found at the NASCAR.com SuperStore.

Here is a quick reminder of the driver-character pairings for the Justice League Racing Weekend Presented by Hot Wheels:

NASCAR Busch Series (August 21)

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (August 22)