Having just finished her duties as a sideline reporter for The Cotton Bowl on Fox Sports, Krista Voda seems to be everywhere this season.
Fans may remember that she co-hosted the Craftsman Truck Series Banquet with Rick Allen, and just last week was a sideline reporter on an NFL game for Fox.
All of this came after hosting the pre-race show for the Craftsman Truck Series races, reporting from pit road for the NASCAR on Fox NEXTEL Cup events and hosting SPEED's coverage of the All-Star festivities from Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Maybe the perfect break for her would be to sit down at the computer with a nice hot chocolate and answer some wonderful questions from The Daly Planet readers.
Fresh from Northern Iowa University with a degree in Communications, Voda set her sights on a TV career that began with stints at various local TV stations. Her "plain and simple" approach to TV may well be traced to her Midwestern roots.
NASCAR fans remember Voda from her reporting and hosting duties on Totally NASCAR, a program series that aired on the FoxSportsNet regional channels. Transitioning to SPEED, Voda and Steve Byrnes hosted a NASCAR studio program that would wind-up becoming NASCAR Nation. Everyone remembers those tough times, and Voda departed SPEED and moved to the Pittsburgh area.
That separation did not last long, as she returned for pit reporter duties on the Truck Series and even stepped-into that role on the AMA Supercross motorcycle tour. She has worked on the All-American Soap Box Derby, the SEMA show, and even the IRL.
Voda still resides in the beautiful Pittsburgh, PA area and is continuing to grow her TV career. She will be returning to the Trucks, Supercross and her NASCAR on Fox duties for 2008, but we will all have to wait and see what other opportunities come her way.
Update: The mailbox is now closed for questions to Krista. Thanks for taking part in this latest Daly Planet reader interview. Please check back with us, as we will post her responses sometime over the weekend.
29 comments:
Hey Krista, thanks so much for answering our questions during the offseason.
Whenever we see you on tv, you do such an excellent job, whether it's hosting a weekly NASCAR show or reporting from pit road. My question is how much preparation (regarding storylines, interviews, facts, etc) went into one Totally NASCAR show as opposed to a typical Sunday race?
Thanks again,
Matt
Rochester, NY
Krista, Thank you for your time, what is your most treasured memory or moment so far as a reporter covering Motor sports?
Michelle
Upstate, NY
Hi Krista, it's an honor talking to you. Watching you cover such a wide variety of sports and all at the highest level of professionalism leads me to my question. Which one is the most fun for you to cover?
Krista, thank you so much for giving us a bit of your precious free time.
My question --- How hard is it to concentrate on your interviews with the chaos going on around you?
Franna
Palestine, TX
Hi Krista,
I think you're doing a great job and appreciate you taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions.
Being a long time fan of Ray Dunlap and having met him before, what's it like working with Ray? His knowledge of racing is astounding. Do you ever have to go to him for information?
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Hey Krista,
How about some personal information: Married, Children, Hobbies, etc.
Thanks,
Mike in Sandbridge Beach, VA
Hi Krista,
Thank you for answering our questions on your vacation time. I have really enjoyed your work in both Nascar and football. I saw you do a Bucs game and even before I saw your name on the screen I heard your voice and said "That has to be Krista Voda" and sure enough I was right.
My question is the following: Being a long time fan of Michael Waltrip, what is it like working with him and is he easy to work with and get along with?
Again, thank you for answering our questions.
Amy
Winter Haven, FL
Hello, Krista. When you made the transition from pit reporter to lead host at "the desk", after Ray Dunlaps' stint as key host, was it an easy transition, or were there nervous nuances that made it difficult, considering the "circumstances"?
Thank you,
Garry
Thornton, Co.
Happy New Year, Krista,
Love your dedication to our sport.
and miss you from your days at FSN.
My question is. Do you ever want host a daily motorsports program in the future?. We all know you would be great at it. Thank you for you time. And to you JD for setting up this up. Enjoy 2008.
Krista, no doubt you have interviewed just about every Nascar celebrity there is. I was wondering, which one do you look forward to interviewing the most and which one makes you want to be anywhere but doing the interview?
Thank you, from a fellow Iowan.
Hello Krista. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
Have you had to fight your way through any sexism? Do you find that kind of thing more prevalent in one sport over another? Do you feel your gender helps or hinders you in any way?
Darcie in Wisconsin but a huge Steeler/Penguins fan
Hi Krista,
What you rather do at a Cup race? Be the Host(ess?), call the race or run in the pits.
Merle in Prince Edward Island
hi Krista! first off great job on the cotton bowl. I love your versatility.
My question is about the truck series. You seem to always be smiling and just having so much fun working on that show. Is it that way or are you just faking us with your professionalism. To be honest, the whole group seems to be just having fun broadcasting the races. I hope nothing changes on that show. I love it when you forget michael in the booth and it's fun to hear rick and phil jab him once or twice during a broadcast.
midwest racefan
Hey Krista,
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. My question is about your role during the Truck Series broadcasts. How come, other than both Martinsville races and Homestead, after you finish Setup you are never seen or heard from again during race broadcasts? I think it's a shame that you aren't on pit road or in the garage during the race. I love you on the Setup and would love to see you more during the Truck races, especially after the FOX part of the Cup season is over.
Matt
NYC
Hello, Krista:
There are new fans and hard-core fans who tune in to your broadcasts. How do you prepare for and deliver "on-air" information that interests those new fans without alienating long-time race fans?
Thanks for taking part in this forum!
Tom in Dayton, OH.
Anon 7:51PM,
If you get a chance, could you drop me an email at editor@thedalyplanet.tv please?
Thanks,
JD
Krista, thank you for taking the time out from your busy schedule to answer a few of our questions. Getting away from Nascar and sports a bit, what do you like to do for fun and what are your favorite hobbies. Thanks and Happy New Year from Vicky in Houston, Texas
Krista, what do you wish you could do as a Nascar reporter that you aren't able to do now?
thanks,
Tracy
oop's forgot something so I'll try again
Krista, Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions. Since others have asked my Truck Series questions I'll move over to the pit reporting on Fox. Can you give us an idea of the day in the life of a pit reporter, such as how many teams each reporter covers, how hard is it to obtained info and if you do the actual follow up if your assigned team crashes, breaks, etc.?
Tammy
Perkiomenville, PA
Krista,
It's been fun watching your progress from a Nascar 'rookie' to such a polished and knowedgable reporter. You seem to have become a real 'fan' as well.
As one of the first women to be a regular, how did you find your reception in the garage when you began covering racing?
Krista-
There are many of us who are very happy to see you back on Speed. Looking back to when you first left...It was around the time when a new manager took of the studio productions at Speed. What roll if any did he have on you leaving? Then, after he left and the oringal manager fixed all the problems you came back and we are all happy about it. Will you be taking on a more active roll at the tracks this year or will you be looking to head back to the studio?
Kevin P. in CT
KRISTA- Thank you for the super job you do and for taking questions.
I've heard stories about how the late Dale E. liked to toy with interviewers to try to throw them off. Are there any drivers, crew chiefs, or owners now who try to throw interviewers off in a good-natured way?
Krista. First off thanks for replying to the e-mail I sent to you over the summer. It was very much appareciated. I noticed you do cover football and on your official website you say football is your favorite sport, like many americans. Do you enjoy covering NASCAR or Football better? Or are they two seperate challenges in themself?
Brett Baldeck
Rochester, New York
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