Smoke Diecast: Alexandre's Journey and the Passion for NASCAR

Hey everyone, my name is Alexandre, better known as Xande. I live in Rio de Janeiro, and my life in collecting started when I was a kid. I’ve always been passionate about cars, and my childhood was built around that: games, movies, toys... everything revolved around four-wheeled machines.

Time passed, and it was in 2021, during the pandemic, that the boy who once played with Hot Wheels gave way to the adult collector. There, I found an escape from the moment we were living in and, especially, a way to be close to my "dream cars."

And, almost like Martinho da Vila, I've had focuses on all kinds of types and models—some I just passed through, others I stayed with. Jokes aside, like every good novice collector, I made the mistake of limiting my collection only to my personal automotive taste; because of that, there was a little bit of everything around here. But the focus that really took over the collection—and for which many know me through the Smoke Diecast page—began at the end of 2024, when I acquired my first 1:64 NASCAR. The rest is history.

NASCAR had always been present even before I knew what it was. The movie "Cars" (Disney) and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" were two references from my childhood that touched on this famous American category. In 2011, already more mature, I got a game for Xbox, and from then on, I really grew to like it: I watched the races and had my favorite drivers.

It took a while for me to call this focus my own, largely due to the difficulty of finding minis around here. They are almost non-existent in stores throughout Brazil. Unlike Formula 1, NASCAR is still very niche, but that has been improving—both in collecting and on the sports side, especially with the recognition from the Brazilian public after Disney bought the television rights in 2025, finally giving the category a "home" on Brazilian soil.

The Smoke Diecast page arose from the encouragement of friends and a nagging thought after noticing the absence of a figure in the Brazilian collecting scene who addressed the NASCAR theme. I felt there was a gap and that, because of my passion and involvement, the mission was calling to me. Even though it's still shy on followers, the page already allows me to share knowledge and help with pertinent questions.

Regarding the collection itself, I look for miniatures of drivers I like, champions, and cars that carry the history of the real ones with them. It’s hard to define a "Holy Grail" (today's answer won't be tomorrow's!), but I would go with Kevin Harvick's 2023 Mustang (Budweiser livery). The paint scheme and the race paid tribute to the year of his championship, a beautiful homage to the driver who was retiring that season.

What I like most about collecting goes far beyond the miniatures: it's the connections we make through a "toy." Many friendships began during a sale, an exchange of information, or even while competing for a piece.

My perspective for the hobby is that we have more events and more connection. May our focus be the message that the hobby conveys, and not just the commercial side—which, although it exists, is only the tip of something much bigger.

📸 Follow on Instagram: @smokediecast