Diecast Update: Week of 6/29/26

This week there are eleven new 1/64 Nascar diecast race cars that have been announced by Lionel Racing that are now up for preorder. Following a predictable week in wine country, SVG blitzed the field in both the Cup series and the O'Reilly series to collect two more road course trophies. Both of those cars top off the week's list of interesting, and unique announcements. A cool collaboration between RFK and Trimble, a Space Jam Camry, and even a Clint Bowyer diecast are all on the docket. For a breakdown of all that, and more read on in this week's edition of the Diecast Update. 

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Raced Version: (Sonoma)

Mr. Consistency struck again at Sonoma this week. Shane van Gisbergen was brought in to win on road courses in the Nascar Cup series, and he continues to do just that. In his 68th start, SVG dominated the day with a car that wasn't even handling to his satisfaction. This is win number 8 for Shane, and that places him 78th all-time, one spot above active driver, Ross Chastain. This is 1/64 diecast # 14 for SVG in '26.

The story reads the exact same way this week in the O'Reilly series. After winning the pole, SVG started from the front row, and finished in the first position at Sonoma. During the 4th O'Reilly race ever held at Sonoma, Van Gisbergen cleaned up and claimed his 6th OAPS win, and the second of 2026. SuperFile has been a significant new partner for the New Zealander, and they have now been the primary for a Cup win, and this O'Reilly win. 

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Standard Versions (Cup)

Chevy:

 A couple of weeks ago at Pocano, a unique sponsor activation from BETMGM was deployed  on the No. 3 RCR Chevy of Austin Dillon. The Survivor Triple Challenge game found on the BETMGM platform was the forward focus. This livery received some decent fanfare from many race fans who also follow the highly popular and long-running reality tv show. Austin drive this car to a typical and average 25th place finish. This is the 8th 1/64 for Dillon, and I've got this one ranked at the 5th best of the fleet so far.

Next up for the Chevy camp this week is Michael McDowell's 2026 Defense Unicorn machine. McDowell drove this eye -catching car to a nice 10th place finish on a tumultuous day. McDowell continues to be a legitimate threat on road course races, and this Defense Unicorn Chevy is one of the best themed cars that McDowell has driven this year. This is the fourth announced 1/64 scale race car of the year for the No. 71 team, and I've got it ranked 2nd best after the Modo Casino patriotic car. 

The spread of cool and patriotic paint schemes for last week's race at San Diego did not disappoint. One of the best was this Spectrum patriotic design that mimics the standard Navy colors of the Bell V-22 Ospry. Carson Hocevar continues to impress in 2026 and he drove this car to a decent 19th place finish after running well all day. This is a tier one preorder for me, and I'd suspect it is for many others as well. This is the fifth 1/64 for Hocevar thus far, and the best looking Chevy of the week. 

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Ford:

Exclusive diecast cars car make collecting more enjoyable, or challenging, depending on your perspective. Either way, this RFK store only special Trimble paint scheme that celebrates the company's involvement in not only Nascar, but also in the Premier League. Chris Buescher drove this car to a 19th place finish at Sonoma this week after struggling in traffic through much of the day. This car looks excellent. Despite the uncharge, I'll certainly get one. 

Perhaps the most surprising 1/64 scale announcement of the week was another Zane Smith design being made available. The MRC Mustang that Smith drove at Sonoma this week is now an option for collectors. While it's great to have more product out there representing the arguably most talented driver at FRM, this is not may favorite scheme, in fact the presence of that 'Not Today' poster cheapens the look some, and for me, relegates the car to last place. 

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Toyota:

We've got two Toyota drivers represented in  the 1/64 scale this week, and the first up is Denny Hamlin. This is the second Yahoo! paint scheme of the 2026 season, but it's the first on to be offered in a standard finish. Denny has already won a race for Yahoo! at Las Vegas this past spring. At Sonoma, the No. 11 team brought this 'Email Denny' Camry to the California road course. The race ended up being a frustrating one for Hamlin, and this car is interesting, but overall, I don't think it competes with others. 

A car that I didn't expect to see up for preorder is this patriotic themed Colombia/Belk Camry that Bubba Wallace's team brought to Charlotte for the Coke 600. Wallace drove the car to a mediocre 22nd place finish. The car features the typical splatter fade that we've seen on other Columbia race cars, but this one also has some defining lines and angles. The car looks nice with the red rocker box, red roof number, and comes with the Coca-Cola logo on the deck lid as a bonus. Got this one ranked 7th best of 9. 

The Belk/Columbia announcement was always going to be overshadowed by this next one. We finally get the Space Jam themed race car we've always wanted. Supported by Upper Deck, Bubba Wallace will dive this Space Jam Camry will make for a nice backdrop at Chicagoland Speedway this upcoming weekend. The car looks great, the purple base, and the yellow and green accents are super clean. The only criticism I have, is that to my eye, we only get two characters. That feels sparse! 

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​Standard Version (Trucks)

It's really fascinating that Kaulig continues to support the approval of a 1/64 for every guest driver that gets behind the wheel of their No. 25 Ram Truck. Back in May, Clint Bowyer took his turn at Dover, and he largely put together a really great day for Kaulig. But due to mechanical issues, Bowyer wasn't able to finish the race. There's nothing that particularly stands out about this truck, but it's the only Bowyer diecast that's up for preorder in 2026.

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Conclusion:
It's been a nice week in the realm of 1/64 scale preorders. There are eleven new diecast that are up for preorder, two historic raced versions and the rare Clint Bowyer race truck. SBG continues to do truly remarkable things in the Cup series, and the tun he is on will never be forgotten. Any and all mementos from his accomplishments in the Cup series will be with the money spent. The unique partnership forged by Trimble on Chris Buescher's car also will make for a very unique piece, and the Space Jam Camry will be an immediate preorder for many collectors. 

That wraps up the 25th issue of the Diecast Update for the 2026 season. Once again, Lionel Racing has put together a selection group that should grab the attention of most race fans. Coming up this week will be the highly anticipated return to Chicagoland Speedway. The racing in theory should be great, and there are many interesting paint schemes that will be worth paying attention to. Until next time, keep on collecting!

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