NASCAR Now’s Nicole Manske
For those who enjoys their daily dose of speed-related sports, Nicole Manske is a major reason they’re willing to veg out in front of the tube for hours at a time. Who is Nicole Manske? She’s the blonde (but sometimes brunette) former host of Speed Channel’s The Speed Report and the current host of ESPN’s NASCAR Now. And get this — she’s a former Miss Teen USA contestant and was on the same cheerleading squad as Indy racing darling Danica Patrick. I kid you not.
Thanks to Waterdrinker9 for hipping us to the wonders of Nicole Manske.
More on Nicole Manske via Wikipedia:
Nicole Manske (born July 2, 1980) is a beauty queen and news reporter from Roscoe, Illinois who has competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant.
A native of Rockton, Illinois, Manske graduated from Hononegah High School in 1998. While there, she and future auto racer Danica Patrick were cheerleaders together in 1996.
Manske won the Miss Illinois Teen USA 1998 and competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant broadcast live from Shreveport, Louisiana in August 1998. Manske was a semi-finalist in the pageant, placing third (of ten) in the evening gown competition, seventh in swimsuit and tenth in interview, placing her eighth overall on average. The competition was won by Vanessa Minnillo of South Carolina. Two years after passing on her title she competed in the Miss Illinois USA 2001 pageant and placed first runner-up to Rebecca Ambrosi.
Manske attended Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois, earning her first job while at Northern Illinois for WREX-TV, the NBC station in Rockford. She worked as a general assignment reporter for WANE-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana before going to WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana in April 2004. During her career at WISH-TV, Manske covered the Indianapolis 500, the United States Grand Prix, the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. She was also a pit reporter for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. In the May 15, 2006 edition of The Indianapolis Star , Manske announced that she would be leaving WISH-TV for Speed Channel in Charlotte, North Carolina with the 2006 Indianapolis 500 on May 28 being her last day.
Manske was the co-host of The Speed Report (formerly Speed News), a weekend motorsports program on Speed Channel at 7 PM and 8:30 PM EST on Sundays, a position she has held since from July 1, 2006, when she replaced Connie LeGrand to January 27, 2008.
On January 23, 2008 it was announced that Manske was leaving Speed Channel to become the new host of NASCAR Now on ESPN. It was announced that she would be replaced by on a part-time basis by Fox and Speed reporter Krista Voda.
The speed queen, who is often referred to as NASCAR’s version of Erin Andrews, in action:
Pics of Nicole, with some nice ones via IndianaRacing.net, and more from Busted Coverage:
December 4th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Nicole is hot as hell and deserves the title of the Erin Andrews of NASCAR. Now we need Erin Andrews to come to NASCAR and then we will have 2 sexy chicks.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Jamie Little is hotter.
January 26th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
she never been guest host/update anchor on “ESPN First Take” before.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
LOOK OUT ERIN ,NICOLE IS BREATHING VERY HOTTTT AIR DOWN YOUR BACK
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
In order for Nicole to guest host on First Take, she may learn a lot from the women who guest hosted on ESPN & ESPN2: Suzy Kolber, Bonnie Bernstein, Michelle Bonner, Sage Steele & Wendi Nix. If she do start guest hosting First Take on some occaisons, she can make a great fill in for Dana Jacobson. she did a great job co-hosted Nascar Now with Allen Bestwick & doing nascar reports on Sportscenter & ESPNEWS ever since joining the network in 2008.
February 26th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
What about Krista Voda? She’s another NASCAR Hottie that doesn’t get alot of attention.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 am
Nicole would HAVE to do better than Julie Foudy former USA womesn soccer player that has been on the last week. Julie is TERRIBLE!!!!!! Oh…..and Nicole is HAWT!!
March 9th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Nicole deserves to be guest hosting First Take, She will do better just like she hosted the monday roundtable edition of nascar now last monday while Allen is off.
March 24th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Nicole is the most beautiful sideline hottie,None of the
rest can not come close to her beauty.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
Much hotter as a brunette
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
we want nicole to do the show in a bikini please
July 11th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but she will be getting married to IndyCar driver Ryan Briscoe this December. I know. I’m disappointed too!
July 16th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
She’s pretty, but she’s gained some serious weight. She use to look much sexier.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:50 am
hey, i just saw Nicole Manske on ESPN First Take talking about the Watkins Glen race.
October 5th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
hey, nicloe was a favorite when she was on indy t v as a sports commentator. what a great thing to know her career is advancing. i think of all the sportscasters she was right in the top few as a professional and as one who knew what she wanted to accompolish before the interview.
you go girl we wish you the very best.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
nicole should do a photoshoot in a bikini or some lingerie…something like danica did! nicole is hot hot hot, and really makes the old gearshift stiff, lol!
December 5th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
NICOLE IS HOT BUT HEATHER COX IS SMOKEN
February 12th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Nicole crashed and burned today, when she asked Tony Stewart a really dumb question suggesting that NASCAR racing was getting too safe. Smoke did not appreciate the question and let her know that NASCAR fans do not want drivers to get hurt.
June 27th, 2010 at 11:58 am
If you had seen the interview with President Obama last year at the White House, you would have noticed that Nicole was showing mucho leg to the pres. I’m talking n-i-c-e legs!! If Obama didn’t sneak a peak at those legs, he’s gay!! I’d be willing to bet the Michelle grilled him on that right away. lol
Check YouTube. That vid is still up.
She looked smokin’ hot!!!
July 6th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Heather Cox? Are you a relative or neighbor of hers? If you’re talking strictly ESPN gals, I’d have to go Jenn Brown #1, SLIGHTLY edging Nicole, Erin Andrews 3rd. EA is only a couple of steak dinners away from making a run at 1st or 2nd though.