Julie Henderson

Julie Henderson for USA WEEKEND's annual NASCAR cover/poster issue. Spirits are high, given what's kicking off this week: this weekend's Budweiser Shootout and other racing events leading to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, and the swimsuit issue, which hits newsstands on Tuesday. Earnhardt confesses that, like the 500, the swimsuit issue was an irreplaceable part of his formative years.

Both events could not come at a more opportune time: It's cold. The Super Bowl is history. March Madness is a month away. Then, for one wonderful week, we get a reprieve as welcome as a beach blanket under the Florida sun: fast cars, beautiful women and tropical beaches.So start the engines, folks, and break out the sunscreen while you're at it. It's going to be a great week.

It's an icon," Earnhardt says at the shoot, which takes place at the Richard Petty Driving Experience headquarters in Concord, N.C. "A lot of women have become very famous because of it. My all-time favorite would have to be Tyra Banks. Raised in Charlotte, Decker realizes how big this week is for race fans. "Cars get decked out with the drivers' stickers and flags," she says. "All the storefronts would get decorated, and the kids in school get their faces painted in their favorite racer's color scheme."