Buzz Break: 2019 Donruss NASCAR cards (blaster box)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2019 Donruss NASCAR cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7 (six standard, one Optic Red Wave pack)
Cards per pack: 8 per standard, three per Red Wave
Cards in this box: 51
Set completion: 31 of 160 (19 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Chase Elliott, Bill Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Mark Martin, Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte, Ned Jarrett, Tony Stewart

Insert/short-print cards: 25 (all inserts and some base in gallery below)
Optic Red Wave (3) – Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin (legends), Kevin Harvick (retro)
Optic Illusions Holo (1) – Bubba Wallace
Variations (4) – Terry Labonte (Texas Terry), Kevin Harvick (Happy), Ryan Newman (Rocket Man), Bill Elliott (Awesome Bill From Dawsonville; retro version)
Silver parallel variations (2) – Danica Patrick (Danica), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Jr; retro)
Silver parallels (2) – Corey Lajoie, Trevor Bayne (retro)
Retro Rated Rookie (2) – Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip
Race Kings (3) – Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett
Silver Race Kings (1) – Joey Logano
Gold cars parallels (1) – Brad Keselowski (/299)
Action Packed (1) – Kyle Larson
Classics (1) – William Byron
Originals (1) – Austin Dillon
Top Tier (1) – Kyle Busch
Icons (1) – Jimmie Johnson
Next In Line (1) – Will Rogers

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Race Day Relics (1) – John Hunter Nemechek

What's Buzz-worthy: A new year of NASCAR cards is here with this release that has some genuine oddities involved on the basic checklist -- Retro Rated Rookies for one -- and an unusual run of past drivers in multiple places in the base set. You'll find nearly identical base cards for retired guys like Richard Petty and Terry Labonte in the main part of the set and nearly identical cards just with different photos in the Legends subset -- and then variations and parallels in some instances atop that. But rather than dwell there, there are a number of inclusions that add to a traditional collecting approach and a new push for an Optic presence that can add to the chase and spark some extra value if you land the right names on the right colors. That's probably best experienced in hobby boxes but these blasters do give you a taste of that with a three-card Red Wave pack. This particular box was comfortable in what it included but doesn't feel like it had anything genuinely flashy. Instead, it delivered a pretty fun mix of stuff in decent volume -- I'd rather have this than not enough variety as we've seen from Donruss/Donruss Optic in other sports this year. All in all, this one has its ups and downs but it's a solid start for a collector who needs a little NASCAR. Hobby boxes of this brand can be solid buys in past years, too. They're all worth a look.

Product Grade: B
Box Grade: B+
Fun Grade: A

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type="image_grid" images="146543,146544,146545,146546,146547,146548,146549,146550,146551,146552,146553,146554,146555,146556,146557,146558,146559,146560,146561,146562,146563,146564,146565,146566,146567,146568,146569,146570,146571,146572,146573,146574,146575,146576,146577,146578,146579,146580"][/vc_column][/vc_row]