Deck the halls, the race shop, and yourself with some holiday gift ideas served up by Stock Car Racing. Whether your shopping list includes race fans or competitors, you'll find a few things to spread some speedy holiday cheer.
Something For Everyone
A good place to start your holiday hunt for gifts is Action Performance Products, which offers a variety of products for the race fan. For the children, check out a teddy bear featuring a number of top drivers including Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte. A knit cap, ottoman jacket, or zip-fleece jacket, again featuring the colors and names of many top drivers, would come in handy on those cold winter days. Action also has a variety of plastic hoods that are mini replicas of the hoods that adorn the cars of top Winston Cup teams. Action Performance Companies, Dept. SCR12, 6301 Performance Dr., Concord, NC 28027; 888/855-8827; www.action-performance.com
Thrill Ride
NASCAR Thunder 2003 from EA Sports puts you behind the wheel to experience the emotion, sound, fury, and risks of a high-speed NASCAR race. Take on various real-life scenarios, complete with dramatic pileups, walls of smoke, and door-to-door racing. Graphics realistically duplicate several Winston Cup tracks, and provide details right down to dust whipping up from the track as the car dives into the corners. The game is available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube systems, as well as personal computers. Available at many retail stores. www.easports.com
A Closer Look
If you want to zoom in on your favorite driver, you may want to check out a pair of binoculars from Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. The company's latest products include the Victory Compact 8x10 BT and the Victory Compact 10x25 BT. The single-hinged, compact binoculars make a good companion at the racetrack. The lenses are treated with a coating that ensures rich contrast in poor lighting conditions. An easy-grip, black rubber exterior provides protection against knocks and bangs. Zeiss Sports Optics, Dept. SCR12, 13005 N. Kingston Ave., Chester, Virginia 23836; 800/441-3005; www.zeiss.com
Start Your Engines
The new FC (Fire Control) Ignition System uses solid-state firing technology and silicone controlled rectifiers to produce consistent, reliable, and stable sparking across 22 degrees of crankshaft rotation. The FC system is ideal for racing classes that don't allow digital engine controls. The system uses solid-state analog technology to deliver up to six sparks per combustion event. A silica composite shell protects the circuitry from extreme g-load impacts, hard accelerations, and vibration. Fire Control Ignition Systems, Dept. SCR12, 500 N. Baird St., Midland, TX 79701; 800/955-3345; www.fcignition.com
Made In The Shade
JAX has a new line of NASCAR sunglasses featuring the company's patented one-way imaging technology. A coating process allows JAX to place a NASCAR driver's number and signature directly on the sunglass lenses while being completely invisible to the wearer. Featured drivers and sponsors include Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Dodge and Chevy Racing, and NASCAR itself. JAX, Dept. SCR12, 5155 Rosecrans Ave., Ste. 320, Hawthorne, CA 90250; 310/349-0900; www.jaxsports.com