Round-Up: NASCAR 06 Stars, Rockstar Judges, THQ's VP

Today's round-up includes news of the 'cover athletes' for EA's latest NASCAR video game, information on the judging panel for Rockstar Games' Upload competition, and news of a new senior appointment at publisher THQ, as well as the latest product news and Gamasutra job postings. - EA Sports will use both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as cover athletes for its upcoming NASCAR 2006: Total Team Control game. Gordon drives the number 24 car for Dupont, while Johnson races the number 48 car for Lowes. Said Johnson about his participation in the game, "The addition of the team racing really changes the game in an amazing way. It's not just about you, the driver. Now, you are challenged to manage a whole team, using your on-track relationships with other drivers and especially your teammates to bring home the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship and build a racing dynasty." The game is scheduled for release on September 1st. - Rockstar Games has announced the judging panel for its fourth annual Upload competition, open to amateur filmmakers, writers, designers, and DJs. The panel for this year includes director Edgar Wright, screenwriter DJ Pooh, producer Disco D, musicians Thievery Corporation, writers JT Leroy and Jonathan Nolan, and designers Ryan Shelton and Ryan Carson. The competition accepts short films under 30 minutes, short fiction between 400 and 2,500 words, mixes between 30 and 60 minutes, and multimedia design of under 5 minutes. The deadline for submission is September 30, and submission details are available at the Upload website. - THQ has named Bob Finlayson as its new vice president of corporate communications. Prior to his appointment at THQ, Finlayson worked at Burston-Marsteller, as CEO and president of its Northern California division, and has held positions at Microsoft and Sony Consumer Electronics as well. "THQ's management team has built the company into a recognized leader within the video game industry," said Finlayson. "I am very much looking forward to helping drive the company's continued growth as we head into the next generation of video game consoles." - Also updated today: product news including the release of PowerRender 6.3's personal edition, as well as the latest Gamasutra jobs from companies including GameTap/Turner Broadcasting, Pseudo Interactive, Republik Games, Sega of America, The Employment Office, The Guildhall at SMU, and Webzen America.