Joey Logano and William Byron join Bubba Wallace & Ryan Blaney in iconic NASCAR merchandise line

Mattel Shop and Disney have recently partnered with NASCAR to launch a brand new six-set "Cars" merchandise that includes six die-cast cars along with a 2.5-foot replica of the Los Angeles Raceway layout that was featured in the first movie of the "Cars" saga. This time, five of these six cars will have the names of real-life NASCAR drivers.

Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace's characters "Ryan 'Inside' Laney" and "Bubba Wheelhouse" debuted in the first "Cars" movie, followed by an appearance in the latest "Cars 3" movie that was released in 2017.

This time, three other drivers are expected to join the roster as Mattel announces the launch of the co-branded play set. These are two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, Hendrick Motorsports icon William Byron and Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon.

As per Sports Business Journal:

"Three other drivers are getting their own characters for the first time -- Joey Logano (GoGoLogano), William Byron (William ByRev) and Austin Dillon (Carstin Ace Dillon). The sixth character is Lightning McQueen."

As per Megan Malayter, managing director of licensing and consumer products at NASCAR, the sport's involvement in the "Cars" franchise provides a familiar way for the next-generation fans to be introduced to NASCAR (via Autoweek):

"NASCAR’s continued collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s beloved Cars franchise provides incredible opportunities to engage the next generation of race fans and introduce them to real NASCAR stars in a fun, familiar way."

The metallic replicas with functioning rolling wheels are made on a 1:55 scale. Although the cars can be purchased individually for $5.47, the entire set can be bought for $29.97, exclusively at all Walmart outlets in the country.

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An interesting detail in the "Cars" movies that might have gone unnoticed by the NASCAR fans

It's known that the "Cars" franchise is very closely based on what happens in real-life NASCAR races each weekend. The first movie had characters that were based on legendary NASCAR drivers Darrell Waltrip and 7-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty.

Waltrip and Petty also served as voice artists for their characters "The King" and "Darrell Cartrip", respectively.

However, according to a report by CBR, a subtle detail in Lightning McQueen's body as he sets off on a journey from being a success-driven racing sensation to a humble race car might have gone unnoticed.

The first "Cars" movie showed a yellow streak on the bumper of McQueen, which denoted that he was still a rookie back then. However, when McQueen was seen in the latest "Cars" movie, that yellow mark was no longer there on his bumper, suggesting that McQueen was then a more experienced and refined race car.