Van's Holiday shopping list: 2005 Yearbook

Is it just me, or is Christmas shopping a lot like the Chase for the Nextel Cup? The big day gets closer and closer. The anticipation escalates, and so does the pressure. All you have to do is take a tip from the Chasers and employ a little strategy in your shopping.

For example, NASCAR fans love books. We like statistics. We like photographs. We like to look back and read about the season that was. You'd be hard pressed to find a better gift than a book from the NASCAR Library Collection. Here's a selection that's a must-have for even the most casual NASCAR Fan-atic:

A NASCAR tradition is back for the 18th season-and it's a must-have for every fan of the world's most popular racing series: The NASCAR Nextel Cup Yearbook.

	SUPERSTORE •   UMI Nextel Cup 2005 Yearbook •   The Holiday Store

Since 1988, UMI Publications has documented every significant pass and every defining moment race-by-race in the sport's most anticipated annual publication.

"NASCAR fans are so passionate about their sport and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Yearbook gives them that keepsake to draw upon year after year," said Mark Dyer, NASCAR vice president of licensing. "It's the best way for a fan to reflect upon the year and relive all the thrilling competition and drama that goes into a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season."

The handsome, leather-bound coffee-table publication is the crown jewel of the NASCAR Library Collection. This beautiful hardcover coffee-table book features more than 250 pages chronicling the complete story and results of each and every race from the 2005 season. A story written by the newly-crowned NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion will recount his drive to the most coveted crown in motorsports.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 2005 Yearbook includes season-ending statistics, a special preface outlining this year's Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, and an in-depth look at the final 10 races of the season that determine this year's champion.

Aside from the "Chase" aspect, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Yearbook employs the same tried-and-true format that fans have come to expect. UMI's crack team of designers do an outstanding job of combining text and photos into an eye-catching yet easy-to-read format.

"This season's Yearbook includes more statistics than previous editions," said UMI managing editor Ward Woodbury. "We give the complete rundown for each race, along with the top 10 in points after each event, and whether they moved up or down in the standings. We also list the top 10 qualifiers and their speeds."

More than 300 full color photos complement the Yearbook's engaging text.

"We made this Yearbook a lot more photo-intensive than previous editions," Woodbury noted. "The pictures are quite a bit larger and bring the fans that much closer to the action."

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Yearbook 2005 is bound in rich bonded leather with gold foil embossing. The book has been a sellout virtually every year since its introduction, and there are no reprints. Page-for-page, this is arguably the best-and most collectible-publication in all of motorsports.

"We bring every race story to the fans in pictures and in text as best we know how," said Woodbury. "I think this issue has some of the best photography we've ever had. We have stuck pretty close to our original format to insure continuity and because it has been so popular with our readers. This is the same book presented to each NASCAR competitor at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Banquet in New York each year."

UMI Publications is NASCAR's oldest publishing licensee. A long-time source for specialty collegiate sports journals like the ACC Basketball Handbook, UMI first appeared on the racing scene when it took over production of NASCAR's yearly press guide/record book in 1986.

Two years later, R.J. Reynolds commissioned the company to publish the first NASCAR Winston Cup Yearbook for presentation at the annual NASCAR Awards Banquet. However, a special arrangement allowed UMI to also make the yearbook available to the public in limited numbers.

Several years ago, in an effort to provide collectors a more complete history of NASCAR racing, UMI began publishing retro yearbooks that cover seasons prior to the release of the first official yearbook. In addition to yearbooks covering each individual season from 1972 though 2004, the publisher has created a two volume series that covers NASCAR prior to the so-called "modern era." Both "NASCAR: The Early Years" and "NASCAR 1959-1971: Growth Challenge and Change" are also now available in the NASCAR.COM SuperStore.