Gift ideas are bountiful for automotive-theme holiday

The holidays are approaching quickly, and you have a problem: What to buy that car enthusiast in your life?

Might we suggest a NASCAR Automotive Holiday?

It's all the rage this year, especially since being car-care aware is so important these days. Automobiles are built to last longer than in years past, and folks aren't buying them as often as they used to.

It's easy to deck the halls with auto-related gifts!

Hanging around the NASCAR garage area, there are many different interests and hobbies, too, among the personnel who dedicate their working lives to the sport, spending countless hours in the garage and under-the-hood.

What would they like to see stuffed in their stockings this year?

Glenn Waldron, a set-up mechanic on the No. 16 Ford driven by Greg Biffle out of the Roush Fenway Racing stable, is looking for some help with his hobbies as well as everyday life.

"I would love to see a whole slew of 3M products, like masking tape and grinding discs and paint products," Waldron said. "All the neat stuff they make so you can play with your hobby car, motorcycle, street rod or race car, if you have one. On your weekend off, it would be great to use some of those products."

Doug Richert, championship-winning crew chief and TV personality, had a heavier present in mind. He's co-host of NASCAR Performance on SPEED, along with Larry McReynolds and Chad Knaus, so he's probably seen enough just on that show to have a fairly extensive wish list.

"Doing the NASCAR Performance show on SPEED, I get to hang around with Larry McReynolds a lot and I'm sure he has all sorts of neat tools in his garage," Richert said. "Maybe I can get a good new set of Craftsman tools."

Sometimes, a single gift just isn't going to cut it when it comes to being car care aware.

Shannon Wiseman, co-host of NASCAR Angels, sees the wisdom of one-stop shopping when it comes to populating the acreage under the tree.

"I would like a team of Goodyear Gemini technicians to give my car a complete makeover," Wiseman said. "An oil change, a new battery and brakes, the whole works ... I just want to be really car-care aware in 2010."

Wiseman said she's looking at economy, too.

"Throw on four new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires, too, because I want to improve my gas mileage," she said.

What do you get for an engineer who's pretty particular about what goes into his engine?

Steve Reese, race engineer on the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish, Jr., had an excellent suggestion.

"I'd like a year's supply of Mobil 1," Reese said. "I use it in my car, because the quality and the reliability is fantastic, and as an engineer, I would recommend it to anybody."

That's a solid recommendation all the way around.

Don't just take their word for it, though. There are plenty of solid gift ideas that will make the car guru in your life happy, safe and car care aware.

Does your giftee like to putter in the garage? Well, there's nothing better to outfit them with than a set of Mechanix Wear gloves (www.mechanixwear.com) -- a perfect addition to any toolbox and they come in any color imaginable, even camouflage!

When racing season picks up again in February, there's always DirecTV and the NASCAR HotPass package. That's a real big-ticket item that will pay dividends all year long.

As long as we're being car care aware, why not invest in a Sunoco gas gift card? The rechargeable cards make great stocking stuffers! Try an O'Reilly Auto Parts gift card perhaps, for all the things big and small that NASCAR fans need to keep their rides in tip-top shape.

If you want to go bigger on the parts and pieces end, try a gift certificate to JEGS (www.jegs.com). If you can't find the part you're looking for there, then chances are it doesn't exist.

If welding is your car fan's bag, why not park a Lincoln Electric product under the tree? Welding equipment, helmets and other tricks of the trade are available at www.lincolnelectric.com.

Lastly, if you really want to be the star of gift-giving this year, try giving tickets to the Feb. 14, 2010 Daytona 500. That's right, the Great American Race is less than two months away. Visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com to order tickets to the 2010 Daytona 500 -- it'll definitely put a smile on someone's face this holiday season.