2014 Brad Keselowski

 Brad Keselowski was the first to secure a spot in the second round of the Chase for the Cup by winning today's MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Keselowski took the lead on lap 252 with a daring three-wide move between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson.

This car was produced by Lionel Racing in 2014.

1986 Ricky Rudd

Ricky Rudd won the Delaware 500 on this date in 1986. Driving this Bud Moore Thunderbird, Rudd led the final 93 laps to take the win. Complete results can be found here.

This car was produced by RCCA in 1991.

1980 Darrell Waltrip

Darrell Waltrip won the CRC Chemicals 500 on this date in 1980. Driving this DiGard Chervrolet, Waltrip had a very good day, leading 264 of the race's 500 laps. Full results can be found here. 

This car was produced by Johnny Lightning in 1998.

2006 Jimmie Johnson

Tomorrow's race in Chicago marks the beginning of the 2014 NASCAR Chase of the Cup. The Chase is maybe the most controversial change in NASCAR in recent memory. However, one thing is for sure – the Chase is here to stay. Another thing that's for sure is Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team have the Chase system figured out. Johnson won the championship from 2006-2010 and again in 2013. 

This car represents Johnson's 2006 car, his first championship ride. It was produced by Winner's Circle.

2014 Marcos Ambrose

It may have been the worst-kept secret in NASCAR, but it was officially announced today that Marcos Ambrose won't be returning to the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 next season. This is his 2014 car, produced by Lionel Racing.

Marcos has struggled to adapt to oval racing, and while he's had some good runs, I have to believe he would consider his time in NASCAR as a disappointment. It's a shame, as he is one of the good guys of the sport, but hopefully he is able to find success in his return to V8 Supercars in 2015.

First Post!

Welcome to Scale Memories – a blog dedicated to 1/64 scale NASCAR diecast and the stories behind the cars posted.

As we begin, I'd like to give a little background about my interest in NASCAR and my collection. Growing up in the 90s, NASCAR diecast  played an important role in my childhood and my interest in the sport. Those were great times to be a kid into diecast. On any trip to the store there were multiple cars and brands to choose from, including Racing Champions, Pit Row, Hot Wheels, and Road Champs. The hobby shops stocked Matchbox/White Rose and RCCA. Almost every car and driver were made and the cars were cheap. While those days may be gone, my love for collecting isn't. This blog will showcase some of my favorite pieces in my collection.

It seems only fitting to begin this blog with the car that began my collection. This was the first NASCAR that I got as a child – shortly after Christmas in 1990. Racing Champions had a co-branding agreement with Matchbox to distribute the Days of Thunder cars for a while. This car came in a Matchbox box, but it was clearly produced by Racing Champions.

Obviously this car is a bit worse for wear, but it holds a special place in my collection because of what it represents: the start of my love of NASCAR, my love of diecast, and the representation of my childhood, which slips further into the past with each passing day.

Moving forward, I'll be featuring pieces of my current collection, not beat up relics of my childhood. However, it seemed only right to begin here.