Action Racing Collectibles : Superman Racing

Superman Racing was a collaboration created by Action Performance Companies, Inc., DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Nine different Superman Racing themed vehicles were unveiled on April 20, 1999. Jeff Gordon debuted the #24 Monte Carlo on May 22, 1999, during The Winston at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. Ron Hornaday debuted the #16 Race Truck on July 18, 1999, at the NAPA AutoCare 200. Dale Earnhardt Jr. debuted the #3 Monte Carlo on November 6, 1999, at the Phoenix 200.

Steve Kinser debuted the #11 Quaker State Sprint Car on August 14, 1999, at the Amoco Knoxville Nationals. John Force and Joe Amato debuted Superman themed drag racers on July 8, 1999, at the NHRA Winston Showdown. The 1:64 scale Joe Amato Top Fuel Dragster and trading card is limited to 12,024 units.

Superman Meets the Motorsports Champions is a one-shot comic book published in 1999 by DC. The limited edition book was sold exclusively at K-Mart stores. A sale promotion offered a free copy of the comic with the purchase of a Superman Racing t-shirt featuring Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. The comic is also included with a Limited Edition tin box set of nine 1:64 scale cars. The total production was 7,508 sets.

"The Subterranean 5000" was written by Chuck Dixon. The cover art and story were illustrated by Paul Ryan and Tom Palmer. The book was lettered by Ken Lopez and colored by Glenn Whitmore and Patricia Mulvihill. All nine Superman Racing drivers appear with Superman to compete in a cross-country race against a villain named Kaldra. The race begins in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and ends in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 1999 Superman Racing vehicles were also sold separately in different sized scales including 1:9, 1:18, 1:24, 1:32, 1:43, and 1:64.

 

A trading card was released by ARC with a Superman Racing Dupont Pedal Car coin bank. The card depicts a photo of the coin bank with a facsimile autograph of Jeff Gordon.

In 1999, Hasbro Winner's Circle produced Superman Racing die-cast cars and trading cards for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and John Force. The Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. cards depict the telescoping Superman logo and a photograph of the driver. Jeff Gordon also represents Superman Racing on a trading card for a "Cool Customs" 1957 Bel-Air Hard Top. The John Force card depicts Force and the 1999 Mustang Funny Car.

In 2000, a die-cast Superman Racecar and trading card was released by the Warner Bros. Studio Store. The Superman Racecar card depicts a promotional image from Superman: The Animated Series based on designs by Bruce Timm and James Tucker.

In 2006, a one-shot Superman & Jeff Gordon comic book was published by DC and Motorsports Authentics. The limited edition book promoted the June 28, 2006, theatrical release of Superman Returns. "Faster Than..." was written by Tony Bedard. The cover and story were illustrated by Scott Hepburn and Omar Dogan. Jeff Gordon debuted the #24 Superman Returns Monte Carlo SS at the Daytona Pepsi 400 on July 1, 2006.

In 2016, NASCAR Authentics released a die-cast car and trading card for the 2016 Chevrolet SS racecar driven by #48 Jimmie Johnson. The card features Henry Cavill as Superman from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

On March 20, 2016, Jimmie Johnson drove a special Superman themed Chevrolet SS at the Auto Club 400 in California. The redesign promoted the theatrical release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A series of six die-cast cars and trading cards were released by NASCAR Authentics. Henry Cavill appears as Superman on two of the cards.