The Hero Card Project: Introduction—SASE’s and FAQs


The stack--going in the
mail March 1st
Nascar’s unique in that there’s a pretty cool way to get a (relatively) free souvenir from virtually every team—the hero card.  For the uninitiated, Hero Cards are large, well, cards printed on, well, card stock, containing driver, car, and team information.  Big and glossy, they work great for autographs, or just to collect.
Example from 2020

Now normally I can get a good selection of Hero Cards from team race shops or at the track in the garage.  But with the whole pandemic going on, that’s a no-go.  So instead I’m mailing out a slew of Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelopes (SASE’s) March 1st to every major and minor race team in the three national touring series.

Who’ll be the first to respond?  Who’ll have the best Hero Cards?  Who’ll send the most?  Will anyone still have outdated 2020 info?  And will anyone slip in a few goodies or even an autograph?  Stay tuned to find out!


HERO CARD FAQ’s

Q: What’s a “Hero Card”?

A: A Hero Card is a glossy card-stock giveaway for a Nascar driver and/or race team.  Typically 8”x10” or smaller, teams use them as a form of advertising, a convenient way to give out autographs, and promotion for their sponsors.


Q: How do I get one?

A: Get an 8.5”x11” manilla envelope and put two “Forever” stamps on it (three if you’re requesting a large number of cards, i.e. from a four-car team), as well as your home address.  Then put it in another envelope and address it to the team you’re contacting.  Add two stamps to THAT one and drop it off at the post office.


Q: How do I get a team or driver’s address?

A: Your best source by far is a race team’s official website—some of them have specific addresses different from their race team headquarters (like a PO Box) for their Hero Card requests.


Q: How long does it take to hear back?

A: It varies wildly by team.  Some may take as little as a week, some may take a few months.  Obviously the COVID-19 situation (which has office staff spending less time at the race shop) can slow things down significantly.


Q: Are there any limits?

A: As a general rule teams limit requests to no more than two Hero Cards per driver—you can still ask for Hero Cards for every driver at, say, Stewart-Haas Racing, but you can’t ask for a dozen Hero Cards for Kevin Harvick.


Q: In normal times where else can I get Hero Cards?

A: Race shops (almost all of which are open to the public) usually have them available—no need to pay postage, but you’ll need to be in North Carolina.  Also, if you ever get pit or garage passes to a race, most teams will have Hero Cards available at their haulers.


Q: Do YOU have Hero Cards available?

A: Yes I do!  To request one, send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope as stated above to the following address:

Spade Racing

3911 Concord Pike

Suite 7795

Wilmington DE 19803