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NASCAR on NBC podcast, Ep. 62: Carolyn Manno on NASCAR America and a new podcast

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The host of NASCAR America details what it is like working with the son of Richard Petty and the Hall of Famer.

NASCAR America host Carolyn Manno joined the NASCAR on NBC podcast to discuss her path into racing coverage -- and soon a new podcast.

Manno was raised in Florida and has a grandmother who lives in Daytona Beach, so she had a lifelong awareness of NASCAR. But she admittedly had much to learn when approached by executive producer Sam Flood about being involved with broadcasting the sport.

“I was very interested when we acquired the property,” Manno said during the podcast. “Because this is something the company just made a really big investment in and was going to matter. It was obvious right off the bat that NBC and Sam Flood cared about NASCAR and really was invested in the sport long term and doing it really, really well.”

Manno has worked on NASCAR America (which will return Feb. 13 to NBCSN) since 2014 but will become the program’s primary host this year. She was in Charlotte last week to interview drivers during two days of media availability.

“This year, I’ll be able to really get to know the players involved, get out to the track, host nearly every show we have and make that my own, which is exciting for me,” Manno said.

Most of her NASCAR education has been through working alongside NBCSN analysts Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty (who has become a playful on-air foil).

“What’s really neat is I’m very curious about the influence that our analysts have,” she said. “As a newcomer when I met all these guys, I knew them as Kyle and DJ and Jeff and Steve -- as generous and kind people willing to educate me on the sport and could not be nicer. I’ve worked across a lot of sports and met a lot of different players and coaches and was struck by how authentic these characters were.

“But I didn’t know them as Kyle Petty, son of Richard Petty or Dale Jarrett, the Hall of Famer. I knew him as DJ. So now when I’m out and see the impact they have in the sport, it’s a wakeup call we have some of the most important voices in the industry.”

Before joining NBC Sports and NBCSN as a full-time anchor in 2013, Manno worked in South Bend, Ind., and then as a sportscaster and reporter for Comcast SportsNet New England, which included covering the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick.

“Even though he’ll scoff at the media, he pays attention to everything that happens in that (media) room,” Manno said of the famously gruff coach. “Some interactions, I’d go in there ready to be curious and ask him to explain things about the way they operated. He was always very respectful of that and wanted to educate but in a different way.”

Manno also revealed details behind the new podcast that she will be launching this month with NBCSN analyst and NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman, whom she views as “a little brother.” Their Monday morning podcast will feature a weekly recap of Sunday’s race.

“We have so much fun (on the NASCAR America set) and this irreverent quality when we’re hanging out that’s very relaxed,” she said. “Parker and I have a great chemistry, and I hope the podcast will be a new way for fans to see us and the show. Parker is incredibly valuable when it comes to race assessment.”

You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the AudioBoom embed below or download and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by clicking here. The free subscription will provide automatic downloads of new episodes to your smartphone. It also is available on Stitcher by clicking here and also can be found on Google Play, Spotify and a host of other smartphone apps.

https://audioboom.com/posts/5559045-ep-62-carolyn-manno-nascar-america?t=0