Official SCF Review: 2009 Wheels Main Event

[Enigma]

First and foremost, I'd like to thank our sponsors at Press Pass for providing us with this box.



20 packs per box
5 cards per pack
Current Retail Price: 79.99 - 89.99

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- 2 Memorabilia Cards & 1 Autograph Card Per Hobby Box!
- First Poker Themed Nascar Set - Featuring Autographs From Top Professional Poker Players!
- Four Autograph Levels - Club, Diamond, Spade And Heart!...1:20
- All New Memorabilia - Driver-Worn Cowboy Hats, Pit Road Relics (Pit Wall Banners, Pit Signs, Pit Stackers, And Wheel Covers) And Event-Used Playing Cards Featuring The Drivers' Door Numbers...1:10
- 54 Card Full Poker Deck Subset!

10 BOX CASE INSERT SUMMARY
- One Autographed Press Plate, 1 Of 1 Spade Level Autograph Card Or Hat Dance Patch Edition Card From A Top Driver!
- Two Or Three Autographed Short-Printed Rookie Base Cards!
- Three Professional Poker Player Autograph Cards!
- Ten Main Even Marks Autograph Cards (Featuring Four Levels - Club, Diamond, Heart, Spade)!
- Twenty Authentic Memorabilia Cards And 20 Innovative "Tire Technology" Cards!

WHAT WE PULLED



Base (73/86) - 84.9%
Dupes - 0
Foil Parallel (1) - Martin Truex Jr.



Poker Deck (20)
High Rollers (3) - Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin
Renegade Rounder (2) - David Ragan, Ryan Newman



Shuffle Up & Win Contest Card (1)



Hat Dance Kasey Kahne Triple Hat /99
Stop & Go Swatches Juan Pablo Montoya Pit Sign /125
Bobby Labonte (Ace of Clubs) Autograph



FINAL RATINGS

Base - 4.5
Overall Design - 5
Fun - 4.5
Value - 4
Rebuy - 5

Total - 23/25 (92%)

This is the inaugural year for Wheels Main Event from Press Pass. What a debut! Utilizing a poker theme, the base cards are centered around terms you would hear in a casino. Rounders showcases the individual drivers. Winning Hand is all about the the various racing teams. Double Suited focuses on drivers who race cars with different sponsors throughout the year. Pit Boss introduces some of the Crew Chiefs around the circuit. All In highlights winning drivers who took chances to get the win. Jackpot gives credit to drivers with a great victory. Poker Face shows off some of the top drivers. Poker Pros brings in a few familiar faces in the world of poker. Rookie Rounders is an autograph set featuring the four rookies from this season.

Outside of the foil parallels of the base set, there are a couple of insert sets. High Rollers and Renegade Rounder are your typical style of inserts. The big draw for many though is the 54-card full deck insert set. This set features drivers on playing cards, which you can actually use as a deck of cards.

Racing collectors will be excited to see the return of relics from Pit Road resurface in Main Event. There are various pieces from signs, banners and stackers to be found. Additionally, various hat pieces continue to proliferate boxes from the customary driver-worn hats to cowboy hats. And to continue with the poker theme, random boxes will yield autographs of various poker stars.

There was a lot of hesitation upon hearing the ever-popular Wheels American Thunder would be getting replaced this year, especially considering how great it was over the last couple of years. However, Press Pass may have a royal flush on their hands with Main Event. Introducing a new theme is oftentimes difficult, but Press Pas pulled it off here. Kudos for not going over the top and using poker as a theme and not the underlying message by shoving numerous upon numerous poker players down everyone's throat. The 54-card deck is a wonderful idea and I'm sure many collectors, let alone racing fans, will want to put that set together. There is a lack of numbered cards, which can be a small letdown. But I don't foresee that stopping collectors picking up multiple boxes.

Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Press Pass for giving us the opportunity to review this release. For more information on all their products, be sure to check them out at www.presspassinc.com.

[TheTGB]

Great review Tony. I posted my review from my couple of boxes and pretty much agree with you in every facet. Nice Hat Dance card, I pulled that one too :)

[JKC]

Very nice break and review! Thank you, Press Pass, for providing this!

Darin

[skippy]

Have to give Press Pass a high rating for this release. I myself started with two boxes but had to get another one.

I believe they out did themselves this release.