Teddy B. Caring and Tony StewartChristmas is fast approaching and I thought I’d share with you some ideas I had for great gifts for NASCAR fans.

— Let’s start things off with two Tony Stewart-related gifts. First is the 2011 calendar I gave you guys a preview of last month that features exclusive photos of Tony. I love calendars, I think they make great presents because they last all year with something new to stare at (and daydream about) each month. The second gift is the 2010 “Teddy B. Caring Bear” from the Office Depot Foundation. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the bear will go to children and families in need around the world. Teddy B. Caring was made by Gund (so you know he’s well made), costs only $9.99 and can be found at Office Depot stores.

“Working with the Office Depot Foundation on its National Backpack Program is one of the most important and rewarding things I do,” Stewart said. “It’s amazing to see the look on a child’s face when they receive a new backpack and are able to head back to school with an extra boost of confidence. Every child deserves that, and I would like to encourage everyone to consider giving a Teddy B. Caring bear as a gift this holiday season in support of the great work the Office Depot Foundation does all year long.”

— “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday: True Stories of Remarkable NASCAR Fans” by Andrew Giangola is a book that every single NASCAR should own. For a full-on review check out the one I wrote earlier this year. There are tons of endearing and just plain funny stories included in this book about the amazing people that follow NASCAR every year. NASCAR drivers like Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. Once you’ve bought the book, go check out Andrew’s blog where he’s just posted a great story about singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw and Carl Edwards.

— Another book, but this one isn’t out yet. It’s from Michael Waltrip and I know nothing about it except that he’s written it, and it has a title–“In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything.” The book hits stores on February 1st, but you can pre-order it now.

— Okay, so here’s yet another book, but I love it so much I don’t care that it’s kind of dated. Liz Allison’s book “The Girl’s Guide to Winning a NASCAR(R) Driver: Secrets to Grabbing His Attention and Stealing His Heart” tickles me. It’s just fun, plain and simple fun. I wish they’d make an updated version with more drivers.

— Have you ever thought about driving, or just riding along, in a stock car? Of course you have! Well why not make 2011 the year you actually do it? The Richard Petty Driving Experience has a bunch of different experiences that get in you in on the action at reasonable prices. They have a cool program called the Race Ride where you get to take laps in a NASCAR-level car with a professional driver just before or after an actual Sprint Cup Series race. For pricing (they’ve got gift cards too!) and info check out the Richard Petty Driving Experience website.

No 33 Necklace by Keri Luiz— If you, or someone you know, are a hardcore fan of a particular driver and you want something unique and all your own then I have a really good suggestion for you. Why not ask Keri (aka PhoenyxArts on Twitter) to make a piece of jewelry for you! I loved her No. 33 pendant and necklace (at right) and I’m sure she could fashion a fabulous piece for ya. For more info on how she created the #33 pendant check out Keri’s blog Phoenyx Arts.

— If there are any school-age kids in your life then you’ve probably heard of Silly Bandz, the silicone bracelets that come in all sorts of shapes. My 9-year-old nephew showed me his collection (and his wrist that looked exactly like this) and I immediately wondered if they had those for NASCAR. When I was in Las Vegas for Champion’s Week I happened to talk to a guy from NASCAR’s licensing department and I found out that they are going to come out with their own set of Silly Bandz soon. So be on the lookout for that! I don’t know when or where, but I’d imagine they’d at least have them in the NASCAR.com Superstore. (Right? or maybe SillyBandz.com)

(Tony Stewart photo credit: MATTER/Edelman for Office Depot Racing)