Reader's Digest and NASCAR Form Publishing Partnership

Posted on May 7, 2004

Reader's Digest Children's Publishing has announced an agreement to publish and distribute books in the United States and Canada based on the popular NASCAR auto racing brand. Beginning in June 2004, Reader's Digest Children's Publishing will release three initial NASCAR-related titles. Reader's Digest Children's Books are distributed by Simon & Schuster.

"We are delighted that we will be creating books based on America's second most-watched spectator sport," said Harold Clarke, Vice President and Publisher, Trade Publishing, for The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. "With 75 million fans, NASCAR is a hit with both children and adults and fits well into our strategy of developing book products 'driven' by America's strongest brands."

Mark Dyer, Vice President of Licensing and Consumer Products at NASCAR, said: "As the popularity of NASCAR continues to grow, especially with younger fans, we're partnering with the best publishers to sate our fans' thirst for information and entertainment. More than half of all kids 7 - 12 years old are NASCAR fans. In this age group, NASCAR is now the No. 2 televised sport. We're excited to collaborate with Reader's Digest to bring quality books to this growing market of passionate fans."

The initial NASCAR-related titles include:

NASCAR CarryAlong Book: Cars - Drivers - Races ($14.99) will contain colorful photographs and simple text. The book will give youngsters an inside look at the drivers and their cars, plus offer behind-the-scenes information about NASCAR races, tracks, pit crews and more. Brightly colored tabs on every page help young readers find their favorite subjects easily. The clasp and sturdy rubber handle of the book looks like a racing tire and has the NASCAR logo on it.

NASCAR Middle Grade Books: Speedway Superstars and The Greatest Races ($4.99): These books contain 8-page photo inserts and 16 black and white photos throughout. Speedway Superstars focuses on NASCAR'S greatest drivers -- all the greats from Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, to today's top drivers, will be included, along with sidebars about the tracks, cars, and pit crews. The Greatest Races covers the most memorable events in NASCAR history including the first Daytona 500 in 1959, the 1974 Firecracker 400, 1984 Winston 500, and the 2003 Darlington race when Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by a fraction of an inch in the closest-ever NASCAR race finish.

NASCAR's publishing program now has more than 75 NASCAR-licensed titles in print. In 2004, NASCAR currently has 11 adult titles scheduled for release. In addition, NASCAR is emphasizing a new children's publishing line including story books, chapter books, and reading level books to reach the entire children's market.