By Van Cox, Special to NASCAR.COM
April 3, 2006
04:57 PM EDT (20:57 GMT)
It's been on the market for only three weeks, but Press Pass Eclipse 2006 is already being hailed by many NASCAR card aficionados as the best set of the young season. And if you check out the activity on eBay, the numbers back up that opinion. Eclipse Hobby boxes are bringing top dollar. And with three memorabilia cards and one autograph insert per hobby box, that comes as absolutely no surprise. "Not only does Eclipse offer more memorabilia and autographs per box than any other Press Pass brand, but it also features a comprehensive base set featuring numerous NASCAR Nextel Cup subsets and the latest up-and-comers from the Busch Series," explains Tom Farrell, Director of Marketing for Press Pass, a division of RC2. "Collectors will have ample opportunity to find cards of their favorite NNC drivers in new subsets such as Then & Now (boyhood photos) and Big Apple 2005 (recounting NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship week in New York City)." Indeed, in its fifth year of existence, Eclipse offers collectors the premium NASCAR trading card quality and innovative event-used memorabilia and autograph cards that they have come to expect. Leading off the memorabilia platform is the Under Cover race-used car cover insert series, supercharged by a special Double Cover version that feature dual car covers of NASCAR Nextel Cup teammates. If that isn't enough, the top tier of this event-used program is the Under Cover Signature Series autographed memorabilia cards. Fourteen different NASCAR headliners are featured in the Under Cover program-including the first car cover card for Flipper himself, Carl Edwards. Skidmarks, a longtime collector favorite featuring race-used tire shaving incorporated into the design of a trading card, is back this season. Collectors won't have to look too far to find one of the many memorabilia cards in Eclipse 2006 with three memorabilia cards in each hobby box (car covers 1:10, Skidmarks 1:18). Eclipse 2006 also features Press Pass' year-long memorabilia insert, Four Wide, which features four pieces of race-used memorabilia on one card. Sheet metal, tire, and car cover are featured, plus an oversized fourth piece: driver firesuit. Four Wide is sequentially numbered to 50 per driver and spread throughout all 2006 releases. A special "Hobby Only" twist showcases "1 of 1" cards with a piece of checkered flag as the oversized piece. Keep in mund that Press Pass Eclipse and the Press Pass 2006 brand are the only products to include the limited edition Press Pass Autograph program comprised of more than 60 NASCAR personalities (1:20 hobby, 1:96 retail). In fact, Press Pass Autographs from Busch Series champion and 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup rookie, Martin Truex, will only appear in Eclipse. Turning up the wick on the autograph chase card program, collectors can find Press Pass Teammates Autographs featuring multiple driver signatures on the same car. Those are available exclusively in Press Pass Eclipse 2006. Other inserts include Racing Champions, which prints on foil and is die-cut (1:2), as well as Hyperdrive (1:10 packs) and Supernova (1:5 packs) which feature holographic foil on a plastic substrate. "Eclipse is a strong set," says California trading car expert Mark Smith. "Press Pass never rests on its laurels. Those folks throw something new and innovative out there every time the printing press cranks up." Under Cover - Contains genuine event-used car covers from the cars of top drivers in distinct hobby & retail versions. (1:10 hobby, 1:112 retail) Under Cover Signature Series - A special version of the Under Cover cards with authentic autographs of NASCAR's most famed drivers, numbered to driver's door number. (Hobby only) Double Cover - Two-piece memorabilia card combining car covers from teammates, sequentially numbered to 100. Hobby only holo-foil version #'d to 25. Skidmarks - 18-card insert utilizing actual race-used tire to enhance the design elements on the card. (1:18, also hobby-only version sequentially numbered to 250) Press Pass Autographs - This limited edition autograph program will only be found in Press Pass 2006 and Eclipse 2006 with nearly dozens of drivers featured. (1:20 hobby, 1:96 retail). Racing Champions - 27-card die-cut set-within-a-set printed on foil recaps 2005 race winners......1:2 Hyperdrive/Supernova - The 9 cards in Hyperdrive (1:10 packs) and the 12 cards in Supernova (1:5 packs) are highlighted on a combination of holo-foil board and plastic to create a unique finish. New for 2006! Each Press Pass brand will feature four-piece, two-piece, one-piece, and autographed memorabilia cards! Four Wide features four pieces of race-used memorabilia on one card! Sheet metal, tire, and car cover plus an oversized 4th piece: driver firesuit. Sequentially #'d to 50 per driver. Spread throughout all 2006 releases. Look for special 1 of 1's with a piece of checkered flag as the oversized piece! (Hobby-Only) Double Cover will contain two pieces of race-used memorabilia! For Eclipse 2006, each card will contain event used car covers from two teammates. Two-piece memorabilia combos will vary from product to product in 2006. (Hobby & Retail) Under Cover event used car cover cards and under cover signature series round out the memorabilia line-up for the Press Pass Eclipse March 2006 release. | 
