By Van Cox, Special to NASCAR.COM
October 29, 2004
11:55 AM EDT (15:55 GMT)
The one category of NASCAR licensed merchandise that has exploded over the past eight to ten years is apparel. Granted, tee shirts, hats, jackets, etc. have always been very strong sellers. But while other types of NASCAR memorabilia have at times fluctuated in popularity, it has been full speed ahead for apparel. Years ago, most drivers had one or two different tee shirts per year, one baseball cap, and that was about it. Forget that. Today's NASCAR clothing industry is every bit as competitive as the die-cast market. Garment-makers are working feverishly to develop a more expansive selection of merchandise replete with original artwork and creative concepts.  |  | SUPERSTORE | |
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"Apparel is a huge part of the NASCAR market," confirmed Mike Brown of Team Caliber. "It's big trackside, it's big in stores, and it's big on line. Just about every NASCAR fan has some type of hat or tee shirt. How many people do you see at a race without a hat or shirt of their favorite driver?" One of the most timely tee shirts to hit the market of late is the Mark Martin "Salute To You" tee from Team Caliber. This retirement tribute shirt displays displays the "Salute to you" logo, replica signature and car number at the chest. The back features two images of Martin's face, with replica signature, car and "Salute to You" graphic. With this year's MLB World Series winding to a close, there's no better time to check out the Raceball Jersey collection from Chase Authentics. These eye-catching baseball-style jerseys are highlighted by contrast color stripes at the chest, neck. The team-colored garment has a button front closure and showcases the tackle twill driver graphics at the chest. Jerseys now available at the NASCAR.com SuperStore feature: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and Alan Kulwicki. A non driver-specific NASCAR jersey is also offered. | 
