GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Oct. 25 -- According to the current issue of Forbes magazine, Racing Champions Ertl ranks as number 60 on the Forbes list of "200 Best Small Companies" in the U.S. Calling the companies "a stellar bunch of up-and-comers," the magazine said that each of them is "good enough to be called one of the best." The Forbes rankings are based on profitability and return on equity.

"Being named one of the Forbes '200 Best Small Companies' is a great honor," said Bob Dods, Chairman and CEO of Racing Champions Ertl. "We take pride in our work, and it's deeply satisfying to have our accomplishments recognized in this way. It's even more gratifying to know we've proven that innovative products-like ours-can find an appreciative audience, even in tough economic times."

Racing Champions Ertl (http://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(R), Ertl(R), Ertl Collectibles(R), American Muscle(TM), AMT(R), W. Britain(R), Press Pass(R), and JoyRide Studios(TM). 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 IH, Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Gullane 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.

Certain statements contained in this release contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "intend," "may," "planned," "potential," "should," "will" and "would." Such forward- looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Such uncertainties and other operational matters are discussed further in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's actual results and future developments could differ materially from the results or developments expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this release or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.