NASCAR Preview and Press Guide Hits Newsstands Just In Time for 09 Season

Every year I look forward to two things. The NASCAR Yearbook and the NASCAR Preview and Press Guide. Both books are priceless to any NASCAR fan and if you haven't had a chance to get your copy of the Preview and Press Guide, I highly recommend you hit your local newsstand and pick up a copy.

As I cracked the pages, I started to get excited. There was a review of the 2008 season, a showcase of the Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson and his team, highlights of some of the most exciting and disappointing moments of the season that was and a look ahead to the season that will be.

As I read about the Budweiser Shootout, which takes place on February 7th, with the Bud Shootout Selection Show airing on February 5th, I started to get the shakes. A week from today, I get to see the guys that make my heart skip a beat and watch them choose starting positions for the first race of the new season.

There are articles about the new team of Tony Stewart, the newly merged teams that have dominated headlines and then there's a preview of the new season. With rookie Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski who will start select races again this season, and the guys who have new teams, new sponsors and new crew chiefs. It is the holy grail of NASCAR and with all that has taken place in the off season, it is invaluable to get the knowledge you need to keep up with who's who and where in the sport of kings.

I flipped through the alphabetical listing of drivers and stopped in the H's on none other than Denny Hamlin. His photo is phenomenal, the write up on him worthy of the talent he possesses and the new paint scheme of the FedEx Express car is impressive. There's just one problem. Whoever is doing fact checking for UMI Publications needs to know that Hamlin was born on November 18, 1980. They have his birth year listed as 1981.

In this tough economy, I see a job that would be perfect for me. I know this stuff like the back of my hand and accuracy is critical. Mess up and you can be replaced. I have my resume ready to mail as we speak.

Included with each driver's profile is a complete race-by-race results run down from the previous season, team owners, crew chief and career records. The time and effort put in to being as complete as possible is simply remarkable.

Along with the Sprint Cup drivers, there is a list of all the Nationwide and Camping World Truck drivers as well. There is also a complete profile of every track in the circuit, including ticket information and seating charts.

For those fans who are interested in the lower ranks of NASCAR and it's touring divisions, well you will find a section that was included just for you. A complete schedule for the top 3 series is in the back and the pictures are first class.

In spite of a few factual errors, listing some drivers as single when they're actually married, listing birth years incorrectly and lack of personal information for Nationwide and Truck series drivers, this book is exactly what I've been waiting for. No doubt it will get plenty of use this season and I will be well prepared when the cars that make my hair stand on end take the track to do what they do best.

Oh yeah, you knew it was coming. GO FAST TURN LEFT.