Press Pass 2003 Football Features the First Autographs and Jersey Cards of Rookies Carson Palmer & Byron Leftwich

March 4, 2003 Charlotte, N.C. - The 2003 draft may produce one of the deepest quarterback classes in several years, with two standout stars at the head of the class; Carson Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, and Byron Leftwich, the powerful quarterback from Marshall. Press Pass is excited to kick off the 2003 football season with the first rookie cards of the 2003 draft class and an exclusive look at these two phenomenal quarterbacks in Press Pass 2003 Football.

Press Pass 2003 Football is the place to find the first autographs and game-used jersey cards of Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwich, and may be the only opportunity for collectors to obtain game-used jersey cards featuring these players in their collegiate uniforms. There are some exciting changes to the product line-up in 2003. For the first time, there will be three distinctive levels of autographs in Press Pass 2003 Football. The base level features the player's collegiate logo in bronze, the silver level is numbered to 200 and features the player's uniform number, and the gold level is numbered to 100 and features a secondary image of the player highlighted in metallic gold. There will also be two levels of game-used jersey cards in Press Pass 2003 Football, including a rare holofoil stamped version numbered to 50. Hobby boxes will contain an average of six autograph cards per box.

"Press Pass Football and Press Pass Jersey Edition are the only 'draft pick' products that will include cards of Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwich, the top two QBs in the draft," said Tom Farrell, director of marketing for Press Pass, a division of Racing Champions (NASDAQ: RACN). "We are excited to offer collectors the first autographs and game-used jersey cards of these talented players. "

As a bonus, an autographed football of Palmer, Leftwich or another top QB will be sealed in each 20-box hobby case of Press Pass 2003 Football. Product release is slated for mid-April.

Racing Champions Ertl (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at males of all ages. The Company's diverse product offerings include scaled die-cast replicas of John Deere agricultural equipment and NASCAR stock cars, other licensed vehicle replicas, pre-teen toys, sports trading cards, racing apparel and souvenirs, and collectible figures. These products are sold under the Company's market-focused brand names, including Racing Champions®, Ertl®, Ertl Collectibles®, American Muscle™, AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass®, and JoyRide Studios™. The Company reinforces its brands and enhances the authenticity of its products by linking them with highly recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Case, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Hit Entertainment, Nintendo, Sega, and Electronic Arts. The Company's products are marketed through multiple channels of distribution, including mass retailers and specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers, OEM dealers, and to corporate accounts for promotional purposes. The Company sells through more than 20,000 retail outlets located in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.