Clubhouse? More Like Cardboard Wheelhouse

When I was in my early teens, I took a sabbatical from the Cubs and baseball and began fervently following the sport of auto racing, specifically NASCAR.  I suppose that a lot of this had to do with the passing of my grandfather, who stoked my early love for our nation's pastime.  Additionally, like most kids, I had a fascination with Hot Wheels cars as a kid and the brightly-colored 1:64 scale stock cars always caught my eye.  Furthermore, my parents had long been aficionados of the Indianapolis 500 and I guess I just hitched my wagon to the most popular form of motorsport at the time.  Anyway, long story short, for a while in the early 2000's, the Cubbies took a backseat to NASCAR when it came to my sporting interests.

Obviously, things have since returned to normal.


Being that I am a card-carrying, card collector, during my foray into the world of stock cars, I acquired a fair amount of NASCAR-related cardboard.  Also, being that I am kind of a hoarder, most of said cardboard has survived to the present day.  Naturally, when I rediscovered them in my parents' shed a few years back, I couldn't help but want to supplement those cards with updates.  And so, in the same way that I collect the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls all-time roster, my all-time NASCAR collection was officially born.

I've posted about my endeavor to collect at least one card of every driver to turn laps at NASCAR's highest level (that has one, anyway) on this here blog sporadically, seeing as this is basically my card-collecting diary.  Adam, of Cardboard Clubhouse, has paid attention to these posts (judging by the view counts, most people don't) and recently whipped together a surprise PWE filled with "NASCARDS."  Gotta love the generosity of the blogosphere, right?

All of the selections came from the new new exclusive license holder, Panini, and their 2016 Donruss product; Panini stepped in to fill the vaccuum after Press Pass went belly-up.  A lot has changed since I last focused on NASCAR pasteboards... and so too has the sport.  For instance, Ryan Blaney's father, Dave, was one of my favorite racers way back when and now the kid has become one of the hottest pilots on the circuit.  Furthermore, Martin Truex's Furniture Row Racing team was a back-marker, a team that used to be lucky to qualify for any given race.  Now, this Denver-based team is the leading contender for the Cup championship.  My how time changes.

Speaking of change, here's a trio of big names from my halcyon days, who were elder statesmen when this release hit store shelves, and have since retired from the sport all together.  However, seeing some familiar faces in this envelope was a welcoming sight, even if it was just a reminder of how life rolls on like an army of steamrollers.

 

These two were around when I was around too and. at least as far as Matt Crafton is concerned, I'm a little surprised.  Like, Furniture Row Racing, Crafton was a bit of a stroker in the third-tier truck series when I was tuning in every weekend.  Apparently, since then, he's gone on to be one of the major players and title contenders in what used to be called the Craftsmen Truck Series.  Additionally, last year he made his Cup series debut, filling in for an injured Kyle Busch in the 2015 Daytona 500.  Even though that's his only start at the org's highest level, that still made him a need for my all-time collection!

Driver portraits are all well and good, but let's be honest:  the cars are the star attraction in any motorsport series.  While I would prefer a combo of driver portrait/car shot on the fronts of my trading cards, Panini opted for a little either/or action in their Donruss checklist.  Although, I suppose this card is actually meant to spotlight the pit crew.  C'est la vie.

The running theme of change continues with this card, as the Danica Patrick/NASCAR experiment appears to be over, as it's been announced she won't be returning to Stewart Haas Racing and doesn't appear to be connected to any other open rides.  That's fine with me though - selfishly, I want her to return to the place where she made a name for herself, in a car without fenders at the Brickyard!

Here's another bunch of cards which prominently features the drivers' automobiles.  Specifically, this triage showcases the special paint schemes that teams run over the course of a 36-race schedule.  Sponsors and promotions come and go throughout that lengthy season; so, naturally, the cars often look different from week-to-week.  Having a subset dedicated to that concept is an excellent idea - so, good job on that Panini!

It should also be noted that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will also be joining the previously mentioned Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards in the NASCAR retirement home, come the end of the 2017 campaign.  There's that undercurrent of change again, which has weaved throughout the entirety of this post.

The last card in Adam's extremely generous PWE was another selection from that special paint scheme subset, this one featuring the number 6 of Trevor Bayne and Roush Fenway Racing.  This card bears special significance to me, for a pair of reasons:

First, the six's current pilot, Trevor Bayne, is sponsored by Advocare, a company with which my wife is a distributor and who's products have helped my quite a bit over the last few years. Their products have helped me clean up my diet, lose 20 pounds, and greatly improve my cardiovascular fitness (and I'm, a runner, so that's pretty important to me).  Plus, their natural, vitamin-enhanced energy supplement, Spark, has drastically reduced by dependency on sugary death traps like Monster and Red Bull.  Combine these factors with the fact that they sign a paycheck with my wife's name on it creates a special sort of attachment to the 2011 Daytona 500 champ.

Although I don't really collect NASCAR die-cast anymore (but that was a massive accumulation of mine back then) I couldn't help but pick up the NASCAR Authentics version of Bayne's 2016, Advocare-emblazoned Ford Fusion when I saw it on the rack at Walmart.  Even my wife thought it was cool!

Second, like seemingly every other card in this post, represents change.  You see, the special paint scheme on the bottom portion is purposely evocative of the iconic Valvoline paint scheme run by Roush and it's former driver Mark Martin for many years.  In fact, I dare say that driver/sponsor pairing is one of the most iconic in the sport's history and I can't help but feel that twinge of nostalgia when I gaze upon it.  That's just how the number six is suppose to look to me.

With that, we've reached the end of the surprise envelope.  I hope you enjoyed the ride! My thanks go out to Adam for putting together such a intriguing and thought-provoking PWE - I'll be sure to whip together a proper return package and get it out your way in the near future, good sir!

Cardboard Clubhouse?  More like Cardboard Wheelhouse!  Am I right?