Diecast Update: Week of 3/9/2026

Week number four of the 2026 Nascar season is in the books. Ryan Blaney overcame multiple obstacles to claim his first trophy of the year, and multiple crashes and cautions upset the Cup series field. This week we have a considerable slowdown in the amount of new 1/64s that are up for preorder. The theme this week certainly has to be Chevy. There are four new Cup liveries, and just as many NOAPS Camaros as well. Add in Justin Allgaier's JRM Brandt Camaro, and it's bowties all around. The second week in March brings lots of 1/64 goodness, for all the details, read on...

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Raced Version: (Phoenix)

The spring race at Phoenix, a doubleheader with the NTT IndyCar series, made for a thrilling weekend of automotive sport. The Nascar Cup race in particular was action packed. Nine of the 37 cars that stared the race failed to finish under power due to a wide variety of cautions. Ryan Blaney, who was also involved in some of the chaos, overcame issues on pit road. Blaney drove his dominant Mustang to his 18th career win, placing him in crowded 49th place all-time.

Justin Allgaier just tied Matt Kenseth for all time wins in Nascar's National Touring series. After a well executed strategy, (and pit road issues of his own), Allgaier drove his Brandt JRM Camaro into victory lane at Phoenix where he has done so before. Allgaier will now look for win number 30 where he tie Nascar Champion Joey Logano. I like the work that Brandt has been doing to showcase the products. The cotton car isn't my favorite, but this raced version is sure to be a good one. 

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Standard Versions (Cup)

Chevy:

The first Chevy of the bunch this week is the RCR No. 8 FICO Chevy that Kyle Busch is scheduled to run in select races in 2026. This is the fourth KB 1/64 for the season, and I'd argue it's the least inspired. Interestingly, there seems to be no other sponsor represented on the car. I'm anxious to find out if the 1/1 version of this Chevy will have the same details (or lack of). The car's color scheme isn't atrocious, but it just feels far more 'corporate' than it does 'Nascar.' Maybe that's the point, but I'm not thrilled. 

Not having Austin Hill in a Cup car at any super speedway is a missed opportunity, and clearly RCR agrees. Austin Hill will bring a third Chevy to select races in 2026 as he did last season with the support of United Rentals. Unlike the other RCR Chevy being highlighted this week, this Chevy is really sharp. The color ratios are strong, and the details, including the forklift before the door number, are eye catching and exciting. This is a nice option for 1/64 collectors, and I've put it up in tier 1 personally.

Alex Bowman is a well known advocate for the health and wellbeing of pets. Ally and Bowman collaborate every year to promote the Best Friends initiative with a goal of supporting animal shelters. This year's livery features the usual 2026 Ally colors with a wide variety of pet paws. I actually like this livery better than others that we've seen in the past. It's not better than Bowman's normal Ally paint scheme, but it's a nice twist. This is the second Bowman 1/64 of the year, and ranks second for me as well. 

The final Cup Chevy up for preorder this week is a familiar one. The Wendy's scheme we saw debut last week is a very close cousin to Ross Chastain's Wendy's Chevy from last week. The only differences are the base color of the hood, which is now white instead of red, and the presence of the Red Bull front bumper logo. I love the light blue foil numbers on this car, and I think it's one of the best schemes we've seen in 2026. 

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Standard Versions (O.A.P.S.)

Chevy:

Connor Zilisch and his ride sharing deal with JRM and Carson Kvapil will include support from Roto-Rooter. We've already seen that Roto-Rooter will be supporting Justin Allgaier, but now they will also spread that support over to Connor Zillisch. The paint schemes are basically identical. They use the usual Hendrick/JRM formula of bold clean colors and effective ratios. Notable as well is the presence of Registix. Bass Pro, and other partners. 

Wilde Protein Snacks is a new major entrant to the NOAPS garage and will make their foray into Nascar with Carson Kvapil and JRM. The car will feature the Buffalo flavored chicken chips which is one of several different flavors offered by the brand. This car is scheduled to be on track this upcoming weekend at Las Vegas. The livery is interesting, but feels just a bit bland down the side of the race car. It's not the worst looking JRM car this season, but also not the best. 

The surprise of the week had to be the JRM reveal of the Folsom Fence Supply Camaro that Southestern Late Model legend Lee Pulliam will drive at Martinsville this spring. The car will also feature significant support from Jerky Boys beef jerky, a company that Dale Jr. promotes regularly. This blue, black and red paint scheme looks really cool, and the fact the JRM is giving this regional race car driver a chance to shine in the NOAPS is par for the course. Job well done. 

Another big piece of Nascar news this week involving Cleetus McFarland hits the 1/64 Nascar world. McFarland will drive the No. 33 RCR NOAPS Chevy Camaro in three different races this year and he will be doing so behind the wheel of a car sponsored by Tommy's Espress Car Wash. Obviously that paint scheme has not yet been revealed, but as soon as it it, we will update it on the Production Tracker page and on here as well. 

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Conclusion:
That wraps up a much calmer week for 1/64 scale collectors. The slow down is I'm sure appreciated by many. Most of the cars this week are standard schemes that will be seen on track on multiple occasions. Chevy was featured heavily this week. RCR, and JRM lead the way with the most cars (6 of 10).

I think the best of the bunch here has to be either the No. 33 or No. 88 Cup cars. Both of these paint schemes are top notch, and as I've already stated, the Wendy's livery is a top scheme for the year contender. As far as things go in the NOAPS section, Lee Pulliam's JRM Camaro is a good looking car that will have the locals buzzing. Many good things continue to be offered by the Lionel Racing company and we are here for it! That's it for now, see you next week on the Diecast Update!

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