Sporting News’ 60 Most Beautiful People: No. 32, Nicole Manske
In 60 years of NASCAR racing, the sport has been filled with colorful characters. This year, Sporting News decided to craft a list of the sport's 60 Most Beautiful People.
The selections were made as a result of nominations sent in by readers and NASCAR fans to the Sporting News' publications and Web sites.
The list was finalized and published in a special edition, which is now available on newsstands and at the online store at streetandsmiths.com. SceneDaily is running the list, with one person from the top 60 to be featured each day.
Today's installment features No. 32, Nicole Manske.
Nicole Manske says she was the farthest thing from a “racing girl” while growing up in Wisconsin.
“My family was into football - (and) watching the Green Bay Packers,” says Manske, the host of ESPN’s “NASCAR Now”.
In fact, Manske was thrown headfirst into racing as a young sportscaster at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, where she quickly developed a fascination for the Indianapolis 500.
“I lived, ate, breathed, slept (at) the track,” recalls Manske, who also served as a pit reporter for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.
“Because I was so immersed in it, I fell in love with it.”
Now, for the former Miss Illinois and semifinalist in the 1998 Miss Teen USA Pageant, covering NASCAR is much more than a job - it’s a passion.
“I’m never going to be an engine girl and tell you the parts of the car, but I love the pageantry of the sport,” she says.
That atmosphere enlivens her as she talks about her favorite race track, Bristol Motor Speedway, which may be NASCAR’s version of the Packers’ Lambeau Field.
“I went to my first Bristol night race this year,” she says. “The first lap, I sat outside in Victory Lane and I sent about 20 e-mails to my friends who really aren’t NASCAR fans. I told them one time you’re going to come to Bristol and experience something great. It’s like a football stadium with thousands of fans looking down.”
