Krista Voda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Krista Voda
|
|
|---|---|
Voda at the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
|
|
| Born | May 31, 1974 Clinton, Iowa, U.S.
|
| Other names | Krista Kelley |
| Alma mater | University of Northern Iowa |
| Occupation | TV announcer, sports reporter |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | NASCAR on NBC host |
| Spouse(s) |
Phillip Kelley
(m. 2010) |
Krista Voda Kelley, born on May 31, 1974, is a well-known American sportscaster. She talks about auto racing and is currently the main announcer for the ARCA Menards Series on MAVTV. Before this, she worked for NASCAR on Fox and NASCAR on Speed from 2003 to 2014. She hosted pre-race shows for the Truck Series. Starting in 2007, she also reported from the pit lane for the NASCAR Cup Series. Krista also sometimes reported from the sidelines for Fox's NFL games. From 2015 to 2020, she hosted the pre and post-race shows for the Cup Series on NBC.
Contents
Krista Voda's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Krista Voda grew up in Clinton, Iowa. She went to the University of Northern Iowa. In high school, she was a talented athlete. She earned awards in volleyball, basketball, and track and field. Her last name, Voda, means "water" in Slavic languages.
Krista started her career in sports broadcasting in 2003. She became a co-anchor for Totally NASCAR on Fox Sports Net. She also co-hosted NASCAR Nation when it was on Speed Channel. Before working for FSN, she worked at local TV stations. These stations were in Iowa and Kentucky. One of her first jobs was working at a radio station. It was called KROS AM/FM in her hometown.
Reporting for NASCAR and Other Sports
Krista hosted The Setup, a pre-race show for the Camping World Truck Series. She also hosted Trackside on Fox Sports 1. This channel used to be called Speed Channel. In 2007, she became a pit reporter for the NASCAR Cup Series on NASCAR on Fox. She took over from Jeanne Zelasko.
Besides NASCAR, Krista has covered many other sports events. These include college football games, like the Cotton Bowl Classic. She also reported on the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Other events she covered were the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, and the PGA Championship. She also worked on games for the National Football League.
Krista Voda's Time at NBC Sports
On October 29, 2014, it was announced that Krista would join NBC Sports. She became the host for their NASCAR coverage. This included hosting NASCAR America on NBCSN.
On November 7, 2020, Krista shared on her Facebook page that she would leave NBC. She would not host the pre and post-race programs for NASCAR after the 2020 season. NBC had to cut her position. This was due to financial problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The network could not find another role for her.
Krista Voda's Current Role at MAVTV
In 2021, Krista Voda joined MAVTV. She became the host of their show Lucas Oil On the Edge. In 2022, she started announcing races again. She became the play-by-play announcer for MAVTV's ARCA Menards Series races. She replaced Bob Dillner in this role.
Krista became the second woman to be a play-by-play announcer in motorsports. The first was Jamie Little. Jamie became the play-by-play announcer for ARCA races on Fox in 2021.
Krista Voda's Personal Life
Krista Voda lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married Phillip "PK" Kelley on January 23, 2010.
When she became the play-by-play announcer for the ARCA Menards Series on MAVTV, press releases called her Krista Kelley. This is her married name. However, her social media accounts still use "Krista Voda." It is not yet clear which last name she will use on air.
