Meet Nick Goldman

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!! Ok, so maybe I don't get to say that as a drag racing announcer, but it was still fun. What can I say about being the Track Announcer's Guild's youngest member, and a racer/writer/announcer for the best drag racing facility on earth? The answer: not much. Looks like I've got a bit of writer's block and have no idea where to begin!

Let's try the beginning. On April 24th, 1987, I was born. I remember it being around 9:30 in the morning. At first I cried, and then became accustomed to this new world...oh…sorry, getting a bit sidetracked. Let's skip ahead about 8 years or so. My dad scored tickets to a CART event at Nazareth, in Pennsylvania. All in all, it was pretty exciting. The noise, the speed, I just couldn't get enough of it!

Time for a bit more time travel, this time I was 9, and it was late August 1996. My dad purchased a Jr. Dragster for me, with the "hopes that I'd like it." (Hint: I did) After that, I became totally immersed in drag racing, and just couldn't get enough of that happy gas, Nitromethane. Let's skip forward again, to the 2001 season, my best ever in the Jr. Dragster. I can sum it up in one word, "Awesome," as I took home the 2001 Junior D Class Championship, in one of the tightest battles yet. As for this year, it hasn't been nearly as spectacular, let's just say I'm warming up for another run at the Championship next year…he he.

Okay, back to 1997. Some short time after I started racing the Junior Dragster, David Napp, track manager, asked me to try my hand at announcing. At first I just did it for fun, to pass time when I was done racing for the day. Keep in mind, this was all volunteer. Then midway through last year, the lovely Michele Marchese asked if I'd like to take over the weekly Junior Dragster column in the Raceway News. I gladly accepted, and began my job at Raceway Park. Michelle also gave me the courage to speak up, and get a position announcing at the 1/4th mile. She got me up there for a half hour alongside Lewis Bloom for the Prostar Bike race in late 2001. And before I knew it, I had worked a deal with the Napp's to announce at the 1/4th mile Fridays and Saturdays, still racing on Sundays.

Since then, I've had nothing but great experiences at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park . Every weekend is a blast, working besides Walter Frey and Andrew Hinckley. I've even had the chance to work at other facilities in Div. 1, including Atco Raceway, Mason-Dixon Dragway, and Maple Grove Raceway, of whom I will be working for next year in my free time at the Jr. Dragster Eastern Conference Finals.

Let me just close this out by expressing how wonderful it is to meet all of these great racers and fans, people like John Mackey, and Edgar Perez. Guys that really care about this sport, after all, these streetcar and sportsman programs are the heart of the National Hot Rod Association, and I'm just happy to broadcast them for the fans. So good evening, and thanks for coming out to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park , have a safe ride home, see ya next week,

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Last updated Wed, 06/18/08 07:06 PM