STATESVILLE, N.C. (10/23/12) — In what is perhaps the most complex and entertaining paint scheme to ever hit the track for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, David Ragan brings the No. 34 Where’s Waldo?® Ford to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the running of the Tums Fast Relief 500. Ragan’s entire Ford Fusion will feature the famous Where’s Waldo? “On the Beach,” scene.
Ragan finished 24th in the series’ spring trip to Martinsville. He has averaged a 19th place effort thus far in the month of October, including a 4th place finish at Talladega, three weekends ago. Last week at Kansas, Ragan earned his 12th, top-25 finish of the season.
This weekend, Waldo, the iconic red and white-striped globetrotter gets his first set of wheels as he debuts on a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racecar. The appearance is part of the Where’s Waldo? 25th Anniversary year-long celebration that includes partnerships across fashion, travel, media and sports,including The Empire State Building, Virgin Atlantic, Wembley Stadium, JEOPARDY! and NASCAR!
Through a partnership with Lionel NASCAR Collectables, a limited edition diecast of Ragan’s Where’s Waldo? No. 34 car will be made available for purchase via the NASCAR.com Superstore and at Lionel-authorized die-cast dealers.
“I’m not going to spoil it for anyone and divulge just where Waldo is featured on our No. 34 Ford this weekend,” joked Ragan. He continued, “When I first saw the car in the shop I had to walk around it a few times to figure out where he was at. My crew chief, Jay Guy, claims he was a little faster than me and was able to spot Waldo right away, but I guess we’ll just have to take his word for it. I can picture NASCAR fans everywhere sitting at home with their die-cast of our No. 34 car and looking for Waldo, just as our entire team did in the shop this week.”
Thursday, Ragan will be appearing at Patrick Henry Elementary School in Martinsville to award Where’s Waldo? books to 77 youngsters who completed Martinsville Speedway’s Reading Program.
Fans attending the at-track festivities on Saturday and Sunday also have the chance see Waldo himself, as he will be a guest of Ragan’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team. See if you can spot Waldo at the pre-race tweet-up, in the children’s area, on stage with Ragan during driver introductions or in the grandstands!
In 12 career starts at Martinsville, Ragan has a career-best qualifying result of 4th, one top-10 finish and an average effort of 19.8. Coverage of the event will begin Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The official die-cast of NASCAR, Lionel NASCAR® Collectables is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed die-cast race cars. A joint venture with the NASCAR® Team Properties and Lionel Electric Trains, LNC makes and sells replica die-cast race cars through a variety of channels, including Corporate, National Accounts, trackside, online, a network of specialty dealers and the Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA). Made up of a group of experienced merchants, artists, sales people and support staff, LNC has its pulse on the racing community and is committed to giving fans the very best in die-cast collectable cars. Follow Lionel NASCAR® Collectables on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/lionelnascar and Twitter @LionelNASCAR.
About Where’s Waldo?
Created by Martin Handford and first published in 1987, Where’s Waldo? is one of the most recognizable characters in the world and a pop-culture icon. A global publishing phenomenon with 58+ million books sold worldwide, the successful series is published in more than 38 countries, has been translated into more than 30 languages and has sold 6+ million Apps to date. JOIN THE SEARCH! as the ultimate world traveller embarks on a fantastic journey to celebrate his 25th Anniversary beginning September 2012. Online, in-store, or at events – who knows where Waldo will be spotted next? Keep your eyes open. You won’t be the only one searching. www.whereswaldo.com.
About Classic Media
Classic Media, one of the world’s largest independent entertainment companies, is a leader in reinventing the classics of yesterday and creating the entertainment classics of tomorrow. The Company owns and manages a globally-recognized portfolio of well-known family and pop-culture entertainment brands, including Casper the Friendly Ghost®, Where’s Waldo?®, Lassie®, The Lone Ranger®, and Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Big Idea Entertainment, a member of the Classic Media family, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children’s programming, including the best-selling animated series, VeggieTales®. Classic Media programming is distributed in more than 170 territories worldwide and showcased in multiple formats, including TV, film, home video, consumer products, publishing, digital, and music. www.classicmedia.tv
