I am a model railroader and a NASCAR fan. I have quite a large collection of NASCAR diecast. There are some online dealers that offer discounts on NASCAR diecast and some can be found on ebay (although even there, most is at MSRP). The diecast cars are sold by the souvenir haulers at the racetracks at MSRP, and they sell a lot. So, I think many NASCAR fans are accustomed to paying MSRP for diecast cars. Lionel shouldn't have trouble selling the NASCAR diecast, especially on race weekends at Charlotte Speedway.
I live a little over an hour from Concord. I haven't been to the store yet, but I expect to see it when I attend the LCCA Open House on November 7th.