Enigma
01-06-2009, 07:33 AM
First and foremost, I'd like to thank the fine folks at Press Pass for providing us with this box to review.
http://www.blowoutcards.com/images/racing/2009presspassnascarRC.jpg
2009 Press Pass Racing Hobby
28 packs per box
6 cards per pack
MSRP: $65.99 - $69.99
Press Pass 2009 kicks off our 2009 NASCAR product line with all new Burning Rubber memorabilia cards - featuring 1 memorabilia card per box! Plus, you'll find Press Pass 2009 Autographs - our autograph program found exclusively in Press Pass 2009 and Eclipse 2009!
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- COMPREHENSIVE 120-CARD "YEAR IN REVIEW" BASE SET FEATURING JOEY LOGANO'S FIRST PRESS PASS ROOKIE CARD!
- NEW FOR '09! ONE RACE-USED WIN TIRE PER HOBBY BOX!
- NEW FOR '09! TOTAL TIRE - RACE-USED TIRE COVERS THE ENTIRE CARD FEATURING A SCREEN PRINTED CAR IMAGE AND DIE-CUT DRIVER PHOTO. ALL CARDS SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED TO 25.
- PRESS PASS 2009 AUTOGRAPHS - EXCLUSIVE TO PRESS PASS 2009 AND ECLIPSE 2009!
- NEW FOR '09! PRESS PASS "TRACK EDITION" AUTOGRAPHS FEATURING UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY.
- KICK-OFF FOR THE FOUR-WIDE YEAR-LONG MEMORABILIA PROGRAM THAT WILL HAVE FOUR EXCITING LEVELS TO COLLECT IN '09!
- TOP 12 FINAL STANDINGS PARALLEL - A PROGRESSIVE INSERT COMMEMORATING THE TOP 12 FINISHERS IN THE CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP.
- LOOK FOR HOBBY "HOT PACKS" FEATURING TOP 12 FINAL STANDINGS CARDS ALONG WITH A PRESS PASS 2008 "CHASE EDITION" AUTOGRAPH FROM ONE OF THE 12 DRIVERS IN THE 2008 CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP!
HALF CASE INSERT SUMMARY (10 hobby boxes)
- PRESS PASS AUTOGRAPHS: 3-4 per case!
- BURNING RUBBER RACE-USED TIRE CARDS: 20 per case!
- TRACK EDITION AUTOGRAPH, SIGNATURE SERIES, OR FOUR WIDE: combined odds 1 per half case!
- HOBBY HOT PACKS FEATURING CHASE EDITION AUTOGRAPHS & FINAL STANDINGS PARALLELS: 1 per case!
- CUP CHASE 2009: 20 per half case!
AUTOGRAPHS - 1:84 hobby
PRESS PASS AUTOGRAPHS - Autograph program found exclusively in Press Pass 2009 and Press Pass Eclipse 2009 featuring nearly 60 NASCAR racers. Look for rare press plate autographs!
- PRESS PASS TRACK EDITION AUTOGRAPHS - All new autograph program featuring unique photography ranging from Joey Logano's first victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to Carl Edwards' trademark victory celebration back flip!
- PRESS PASS CHASE EDITION AUTOGRAPHS - Special #'d Press Pass 2009 Autograph featuring the 12 drivers in the Chase for the SPRINT Cup - these autographs can only be found in the HOBBY HOT PACKS!
- SIGNATURE SERIES BURNING RUBBER - Autographed race-used tire cards; sequentially numbered to each driver's door #
RACE-USED MEMORABILIA
BURNING RUBBER RACE-USED WIN TIRE - Authentic race-used rubber from actual RACE-WIN tires from the first 26 events of the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series season including Dale Earnhardt Jr's first victory for Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson's Brickyard 400 win, and the many trips to victory lane for Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Also look for a special Burning Rubber card commemorating Joey Logano's first NASCAR Nationwide Series win. All cards are sequentially numbered.
- BURNING RUBBER "PRIME CUT" - special version featuring premium tire swatch pieces, sequentially #'d to 25
*** Combined odds for all race-used tire cards: 1:28 Hobby (1 per box!)
- PRESS PASS SANTA HAT - New for 2009! Get in the holiday spirit with these unique memorabilia cards featuring a swatch of driver worn Santa Hat, sequentially #'
- TONY STEWART: 1O YEARS MEMORABILIA - Look for a special race-used memorabilia parallel to the Tony Stewart: 10 Years base card subset, sequentially numbered
YEAR-LONG MEMORABILIA PROGRAM
- In 2009 each Press Pass product will include FOUR WIDE race-used memorabilia cards. These unique cards feature three pieces of race-used memorabilia plus one OVERSIZED 4th piece. New for 2009! There will be four unique versions to collect featuring OVERSIZED firesuit, sheet metal, tire, and c heckered flag pieces. (Hobby only)
BASE SET & INSERTS
- BASE SET- 120-card base set with new subsets & the first Press Pass Joey Logano rookie card! CUP CHASE 2009 - Collectors can win a complete 12-card Cup Chase prize set if the driver on their Cup Chase redemption card makes the NASCAR SPRINT CUP Series Chase for the SPRINT Cup in September 2009.
VIDEO BREAK
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak3uLKiqX8Y
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QccydObSRHQ
WHAT WE PULLED
Base (114/120) - 95%
Dupes - 0
Gold Parallels (28/120) - 23.33%
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00001.jpg
This year's base cards from Press Pass Racing have a familiar design to collectors. In the top right corner, you will find the set's logo. The drivers are featured on the cards with a vibrant and colorful head and body shot that takes up most of the card. The bottom corner shows the car/truck the driver drove in the previous year. The driver's name is listed at the bottom along with the series for the driver. Cards 1-35 are drivers from the Sprint Cup Series. Card 36 is a Joey Logano RC. Cards 37-48 are drivers from the Nationwide Series and Cards 49-54 are drivers from the Craftsmen Truck Series.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00002.jpg
There are many subsets in this year's release. Built For Speed cards return this year. These cards feature various cars from the Sprint Cup Series. The cards show the car while in the pit area and then a smaller side view version at the bottom. Along the left side of the card are the words Built For Speed and a checkered flag. These cards run from #55-66. NASCAR Scene cards are back also this year. They depict specific events that happened through the 2008 Sprint Cup Season. Much like the base cards, the only differences are the words NASCAR Scene is in the bottom right corner instead of the vehicle and the date of the event is at the bottom instead of the driver's series. These are cards #67-78.
The Looking Forward series shows various drivers/owners who will be changing things up in form or another. Some are changing sponsors, while others are changing teams. Heck, there's even one who is changing teams while owning the new team. These look a lot like the base cards with some minor differences with the change listed at the bottom of the cards and team/car logos pictured in the bottom right corner. Looking Forward is displayed across the card. You will find these cards in order from #79-86. Skipping to the end of the set, you find the Top 12 series. These cards featured the drivers who qualified for the Chase for the Cup after 26 races last year. The drivers are set in order from 1st to 12th. With a similar design like the base cards, the picture is different as it shows the driver's face and his car. The bottom says Top 12 and the driver's name with the Sprint Cup logo in the bottom right corner. These are cards #107-118. Card #119 has the Nationwide and Sprint Cup schedules for 2009 and card #120 is the checklist featuring Jimmie Johnson on the front.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00003.jpg
The two other subsets in this year's release focus on two driver, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano. There are 11 Stewart cards (87-97) and 9 Logano cards (98-106). Stewart is featured for his 10 years of racing in the main series. Each card features a different stat from his career thus far. Logano is set with a Through The Years series to show him from a young age up to now. Combined, the two sets show off a present and future combo.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00004.jpg
There are two base parallels this year. The standard Gold series is supposed to be 1 in every pack and that's what we got. The parallel looks exactly like its base counterpart, except that it is bordered in gold instead of silver. The Holo cards are numbered to 100 this year. They also have the same look at the base, but use the gold border as well as a glossy sheen on the cards. The serial number can be found towards the bottom of the card on the front.
Holo /100 (2) - Kasey Kahne, David Ragan
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00005.jpg
There are a couple of inserts this year. The Freeze Frame Series run 1 in every 2 packs and we got the odds by pulling 14 of them. THe background of the card looks like a wood panel with a TV in front. The driver is pictured on the right of the TV with the set name, driver name and a little info on the left. For added measure, a hand holding a remote control is in the middle.
Trading Paint features a glossy card design. The car is the main picture in the middle. All around it are what appears to be various paint droplets. The background and the droplets match the car's color scheme. The driver is shown in the bottom right corner of the card with his name to his left. This is a 9 card set with the odds 1:12.
Trading Paint (2) - Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon
Unleashed is a set that showcases drivers and their amazing victories during the season. There are three photos of the card with the driver's photo in the middle left area, next to the second car picture. Unleashed is listed at the bottom along with the driver's name. Odds on these are 1:6.
Unleashed (5) - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer,
Kyle Busch, Joey Logano
The final insert is the Cup Chase insert. These run one per box. It is a contest card with a unique code you enter at the Press Pass website. If the driver on the card qualifies for the Chase for the Cup in September 2009, you win a special Cup Chase set. In addition, if the driver on the card should win the Chase for the Cup, then you win a special Grand Prize. Press Pass will create an exclusive race used memorabilia card of the champion as long as the champion is under contract with Press Pass.
Cup Chase (1) - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00006.jpg
There are many Race Used and Autographs to be found this year. Autographs run 1 in every 3 boxes (1:84 packs). The Four Wide Series is back with 4 pieces of Race Used memorabilia on each card. And in addition for this year, there are four versions per driver! Each box is expected to yield a Burning Rubber Tire card, much like this one. The card features a piece of a tire used by the driver featured on the card in winning a race. The race and date is also listed on the card and these are generally numbered to 185.
Burning Rubber Driver Series (1) /185 - Kyle Busch (Talladega 4/27/08)
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set: 3/5
Fun: 5/5
Overall design: 4/5
Value: 4.5/5
Re-buy: 4.25/5
Overall: 20.75/25 (83%)
The first racing box of the year always releases before the new year starts. This gets racing collectors a head start on their collection before preparing for Daytona in February. As always, there are positives and negatives with this set.
The base set seems somewhat played out. For the most part, it is reminiscent of previous releases and just because it's one of the low end sets of the year doesn't mean it couldn't use some pizzazz to the cards.
I do like that the set features more than the Sprint Cup drivers. It shows there's more racing and drivers out there than the "big league". Lesser known drivers deserve recognition, though the set is a bit top heavy.
Do we really need a schedule card in the set? I mean, in order to complete the full set, you have to have the schedule card. Seems like another driver could have been featured here instead. Also, I know he's the new young gun everyone is talking about, but do we really need a 9 card set devoted to Joey Logano already. We are a month and a half away from the first race of the year and Logano is everywhere.
Though a neat idea, not too thrilled with the Freeze Frame cards. I prefer inserts that are nice to look at and shine, like the Trading Paint and Unleashed cards. I like the use of the color schemes being matched in Trading Paint. It makes that set worthwhile to chase.
All in all, this is a nice release to start off. You get most of the base cards (though would adding 2 more packs and completing a base set in one box be too much to ask) and a nice variety of inserts. The Holo cards stick out nicely with the glossy sheen finish. There's a wide mixture of possibilities in regards to Race Used cards and Autographs. Overall the entire run, it seems Press Pass has worked hard to give the collectors more bang for their buck and that's always a great thing.
Once again, I'd like to thank the wonderful people at Press Pass for providing us with this box and the opportunity to review it.
http://www.blowoutcards.com/images/racing/2009presspassnascarRC.jpg
2009 Press Pass Racing Hobby
28 packs per box
6 cards per pack
MSRP: $65.99 - $69.99
Press Pass 2009 kicks off our 2009 NASCAR product line with all new Burning Rubber memorabilia cards - featuring 1 memorabilia card per box! Plus, you'll find Press Pass 2009 Autographs - our autograph program found exclusively in Press Pass 2009 and Eclipse 2009!
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- COMPREHENSIVE 120-CARD "YEAR IN REVIEW" BASE SET FEATURING JOEY LOGANO'S FIRST PRESS PASS ROOKIE CARD!
- NEW FOR '09! ONE RACE-USED WIN TIRE PER HOBBY BOX!
- NEW FOR '09! TOTAL TIRE - RACE-USED TIRE COVERS THE ENTIRE CARD FEATURING A SCREEN PRINTED CAR IMAGE AND DIE-CUT DRIVER PHOTO. ALL CARDS SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED TO 25.
- PRESS PASS 2009 AUTOGRAPHS - EXCLUSIVE TO PRESS PASS 2009 AND ECLIPSE 2009!
- NEW FOR '09! PRESS PASS "TRACK EDITION" AUTOGRAPHS FEATURING UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY.
- KICK-OFF FOR THE FOUR-WIDE YEAR-LONG MEMORABILIA PROGRAM THAT WILL HAVE FOUR EXCITING LEVELS TO COLLECT IN '09!
- TOP 12 FINAL STANDINGS PARALLEL - A PROGRESSIVE INSERT COMMEMORATING THE TOP 12 FINISHERS IN THE CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP.
- LOOK FOR HOBBY "HOT PACKS" FEATURING TOP 12 FINAL STANDINGS CARDS ALONG WITH A PRESS PASS 2008 "CHASE EDITION" AUTOGRAPH FROM ONE OF THE 12 DRIVERS IN THE 2008 CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP!
HALF CASE INSERT SUMMARY (10 hobby boxes)
- PRESS PASS AUTOGRAPHS: 3-4 per case!
- BURNING RUBBER RACE-USED TIRE CARDS: 20 per case!
- TRACK EDITION AUTOGRAPH, SIGNATURE SERIES, OR FOUR WIDE: combined odds 1 per half case!
- HOBBY HOT PACKS FEATURING CHASE EDITION AUTOGRAPHS & FINAL STANDINGS PARALLELS: 1 per case!
- CUP CHASE 2009: 20 per half case!
AUTOGRAPHS - 1:84 hobby
PRESS PASS AUTOGRAPHS - Autograph program found exclusively in Press Pass 2009 and Press Pass Eclipse 2009 featuring nearly 60 NASCAR racers. Look for rare press plate autographs!
- PRESS PASS TRACK EDITION AUTOGRAPHS - All new autograph program featuring unique photography ranging from Joey Logano's first victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to Carl Edwards' trademark victory celebration back flip!
- PRESS PASS CHASE EDITION AUTOGRAPHS - Special #'d Press Pass 2009 Autograph featuring the 12 drivers in the Chase for the SPRINT Cup - these autographs can only be found in the HOBBY HOT PACKS!
- SIGNATURE SERIES BURNING RUBBER - Autographed race-used tire cards; sequentially numbered to each driver's door #
RACE-USED MEMORABILIA
BURNING RUBBER RACE-USED WIN TIRE - Authentic race-used rubber from actual RACE-WIN tires from the first 26 events of the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series season including Dale Earnhardt Jr's first victory for Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson's Brickyard 400 win, and the many trips to victory lane for Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Also look for a special Burning Rubber card commemorating Joey Logano's first NASCAR Nationwide Series win. All cards are sequentially numbered.
- BURNING RUBBER "PRIME CUT" - special version featuring premium tire swatch pieces, sequentially #'d to 25
*** Combined odds for all race-used tire cards: 1:28 Hobby (1 per box!)
- PRESS PASS SANTA HAT - New for 2009! Get in the holiday spirit with these unique memorabilia cards featuring a swatch of driver worn Santa Hat, sequentially #'
- TONY STEWART: 1O YEARS MEMORABILIA - Look for a special race-used memorabilia parallel to the Tony Stewart: 10 Years base card subset, sequentially numbered
YEAR-LONG MEMORABILIA PROGRAM
- In 2009 each Press Pass product will include FOUR WIDE race-used memorabilia cards. These unique cards feature three pieces of race-used memorabilia plus one OVERSIZED 4th piece. New for 2009! There will be four unique versions to collect featuring OVERSIZED firesuit, sheet metal, tire, and c heckered flag pieces. (Hobby only)
BASE SET & INSERTS
- BASE SET- 120-card base set with new subsets & the first Press Pass Joey Logano rookie card! CUP CHASE 2009 - Collectors can win a complete 12-card Cup Chase prize set if the driver on their Cup Chase redemption card makes the NASCAR SPRINT CUP Series Chase for the SPRINT Cup in September 2009.
VIDEO BREAK
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak3uLKiqX8Y
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QccydObSRHQ
WHAT WE PULLED
Base (114/120) - 95%
Dupes - 0
Gold Parallels (28/120) - 23.33%
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00001.jpg
This year's base cards from Press Pass Racing have a familiar design to collectors. In the top right corner, you will find the set's logo. The drivers are featured on the cards with a vibrant and colorful head and body shot that takes up most of the card. The bottom corner shows the car/truck the driver drove in the previous year. The driver's name is listed at the bottom along with the series for the driver. Cards 1-35 are drivers from the Sprint Cup Series. Card 36 is a Joey Logano RC. Cards 37-48 are drivers from the Nationwide Series and Cards 49-54 are drivers from the Craftsmen Truck Series.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00002.jpg
There are many subsets in this year's release. Built For Speed cards return this year. These cards feature various cars from the Sprint Cup Series. The cards show the car while in the pit area and then a smaller side view version at the bottom. Along the left side of the card are the words Built For Speed and a checkered flag. These cards run from #55-66. NASCAR Scene cards are back also this year. They depict specific events that happened through the 2008 Sprint Cup Season. Much like the base cards, the only differences are the words NASCAR Scene is in the bottom right corner instead of the vehicle and the date of the event is at the bottom instead of the driver's series. These are cards #67-78.
The Looking Forward series shows various drivers/owners who will be changing things up in form or another. Some are changing sponsors, while others are changing teams. Heck, there's even one who is changing teams while owning the new team. These look a lot like the base cards with some minor differences with the change listed at the bottom of the cards and team/car logos pictured in the bottom right corner. Looking Forward is displayed across the card. You will find these cards in order from #79-86. Skipping to the end of the set, you find the Top 12 series. These cards featured the drivers who qualified for the Chase for the Cup after 26 races last year. The drivers are set in order from 1st to 12th. With a similar design like the base cards, the picture is different as it shows the driver's face and his car. The bottom says Top 12 and the driver's name with the Sprint Cup logo in the bottom right corner. These are cards #107-118. Card #119 has the Nationwide and Sprint Cup schedules for 2009 and card #120 is the checklist featuring Jimmie Johnson on the front.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00003.jpg
The two other subsets in this year's release focus on two driver, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano. There are 11 Stewart cards (87-97) and 9 Logano cards (98-106). Stewart is featured for his 10 years of racing in the main series. Each card features a different stat from his career thus far. Logano is set with a Through The Years series to show him from a young age up to now. Combined, the two sets show off a present and future combo.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00004.jpg
There are two base parallels this year. The standard Gold series is supposed to be 1 in every pack and that's what we got. The parallel looks exactly like its base counterpart, except that it is bordered in gold instead of silver. The Holo cards are numbered to 100 this year. They also have the same look at the base, but use the gold border as well as a glossy sheen on the cards. The serial number can be found towards the bottom of the card on the front.
Holo /100 (2) - Kasey Kahne, David Ragan
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00005.jpg
There are a couple of inserts this year. The Freeze Frame Series run 1 in every 2 packs and we got the odds by pulling 14 of them. THe background of the card looks like a wood panel with a TV in front. The driver is pictured on the right of the TV with the set name, driver name and a little info on the left. For added measure, a hand holding a remote control is in the middle.
Trading Paint features a glossy card design. The car is the main picture in the middle. All around it are what appears to be various paint droplets. The background and the droplets match the car's color scheme. The driver is shown in the bottom right corner of the card with his name to his left. This is a 9 card set with the odds 1:12.
Trading Paint (2) - Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon
Unleashed is a set that showcases drivers and their amazing victories during the season. There are three photos of the card with the driver's photo in the middle left area, next to the second car picture. Unleashed is listed at the bottom along with the driver's name. Odds on these are 1:6.
Unleashed (5) - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer,
Kyle Busch, Joey Logano
The final insert is the Cup Chase insert. These run one per box. It is a contest card with a unique code you enter at the Press Pass website. If the driver on the card qualifies for the Chase for the Cup in September 2009, you win a special Cup Chase set. In addition, if the driver on the card should win the Chase for the Cup, then you win a special Grand Prize. Press Pass will create an exclusive race used memorabilia card of the champion as long as the champion is under contract with Press Pass.
Cup Chase (1) - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF01062009_00006.jpg
There are many Race Used and Autographs to be found this year. Autographs run 1 in every 3 boxes (1:84 packs). The Four Wide Series is back with 4 pieces of Race Used memorabilia on each card. And in addition for this year, there are four versions per driver! Each box is expected to yield a Burning Rubber Tire card, much like this one. The card features a piece of a tire used by the driver featured on the card in winning a race. The race and date is also listed on the card and these are generally numbered to 185.
Burning Rubber Driver Series (1) /185 - Kyle Busch (Talladega 4/27/08)
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set: 3/5
Fun: 5/5
Overall design: 4/5
Value: 4.5/5
Re-buy: 4.25/5
Overall: 20.75/25 (83%)
The first racing box of the year always releases before the new year starts. This gets racing collectors a head start on their collection before preparing for Daytona in February. As always, there are positives and negatives with this set.
The base set seems somewhat played out. For the most part, it is reminiscent of previous releases and just because it's one of the low end sets of the year doesn't mean it couldn't use some pizzazz to the cards.
I do like that the set features more than the Sprint Cup drivers. It shows there's more racing and drivers out there than the "big league". Lesser known drivers deserve recognition, though the set is a bit top heavy.
Do we really need a schedule card in the set? I mean, in order to complete the full set, you have to have the schedule card. Seems like another driver could have been featured here instead. Also, I know he's the new young gun everyone is talking about, but do we really need a 9 card set devoted to Joey Logano already. We are a month and a half away from the first race of the year and Logano is everywhere.
Though a neat idea, not too thrilled with the Freeze Frame cards. I prefer inserts that are nice to look at and shine, like the Trading Paint and Unleashed cards. I like the use of the color schemes being matched in Trading Paint. It makes that set worthwhile to chase.
All in all, this is a nice release to start off. You get most of the base cards (though would adding 2 more packs and completing a base set in one box be too much to ask) and a nice variety of inserts. The Holo cards stick out nicely with the glossy sheen finish. There's a wide mixture of possibilities in regards to Race Used cards and Autographs. Overall the entire run, it seems Press Pass has worked hard to give the collectors more bang for their buck and that's always a great thing.
Once again, I'd like to thank the wonderful people at Press Pass for providing us with this box and the opportunity to review it.