NASCAR Thunder (retail chain)

NASCAR Thunder was a retail chain of NASCAR collectables (die-cast toys and clothing). The chain was owned and operated by the MTV Networks subsidiary of Viacom and had 11 stores throughout the Southeastern and Southwestern United States.

Not to be confused with the video games published under the EA Sports NASCAR racing series.
NASCAR Thunder
IndustryRacing collectables retailer
FateLiquidation (business decision)
FoundedMay 11, 1996 (May 11, 1996) in Duluth, Georgia, US
DefunctMarch 2001 (2001-03)
Number of locations
11 (February 2001)
Area served
Southeastern and Southwestern United States
Productsdie-cast toys, racing collectables
ParentMTV Networks (Viacom)

NASCAR Thunder opened in May of 1996 as a subsidiary of The Nashville Network (TNN), then a subsidiary of Gaylord Entertainment Company. The first store was located at the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Over the years, the chain opened more stores, including another location in Atlanta, along with additional stores in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Florida, Dallas, Texas and several other cities. Some stores also had meet and greets with several NASCAR drivers, including Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, and his son Kyle Petty, among others.[1][2]

In 2000, CBS, which bought TNN three years prior, merged with Viacom, which announced on February 21, 2001 that it would close all 11 of its stores, citing an economic downturn as well as the company declaring the chain not profitable. The announcement came just three days after the death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt during a crash at the 2001 Daytona 500 and three months after TNN and CBS lost the broadcast rights to NASCAR.[3][4]

References
  1. ""NASCAR Thunder" store opening". May 8, 1996. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  2. "New Nascar Stores A Gas You Used To Be Only Able To Get This Stuff In The Track Infields". November 10, 1996. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  3. "NASCAR Thunder Can't Catch Lightning". February 21, 2001. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. "TNN skeds closing of 11 NASCAR stores". February 20, 2001. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
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