pressdog Loves the Ladies: Lauren Bohlander

What's up these days with Lauren "LoBo" Bohlander, former host of IndyCar's Up to Speed and your 2010 trackside spokesmodel at every race?

For one thing, she's celebrating the ultimate recognition, being anointed as a Woman of pressdog.com.

With the league ending Up To Speed in favor of other video efforts in 2010, Lauren will still travel to IndyCar venues to be the at-the-track jumbotron hostess for the race.

Check below for Lauren's super-fun answers to some very burning questions.

pressdog: When you travel to the tracks, what's your favorite part of that experience? Least favorite?

Lauren: Inevitable airport delays will never get easier. Even those are a small price to pay while commuting to the best job ever.

pressdog: What do you think fans are most interested in and how does that impact what you do at the track?

Lauren: Already a lot of other journalists are dedicated to dissecting the technicalities of an IndyCar event. I hope the fans are interested in learning more about our athletes, which is what I’m always looking for new ways to deliver.

pressdog: You've seen the drivers in casual settings, etc. What about that do you think would surprise fans?

Lauren: I don’t think it’s surprising at all, but definitely worth saying, they are all very real. Always gracious and approachable even when the cameras are off.

pressdog: Give us some biographical flavah. Where ya from? How did you get from there to your on-camera gigs? How did you get hooked up with IndyCar?

Lauren: I’m from central Indiana, so I grew up watching the 500 from close-range. I went to DePauw University, where I majored in Communications. After college, I produced sports tv for a few years and had the opportunity to work on a lot of cool racing events in that time such as, Rolex 24 Hours, 24 Hours of LeMans, the USGP (while we had it) and the IZOD IndyCar Series/Firestone Indy Lights. After that I produced graphics for the NASCAR Trucks Series while I talked my good friends at IMS Productions into letting me host their new program called, Up To Speed. My hosting job at the tracks spawned from there and the rest is history.

pressdog: Is there a favorite interview or interviews from your IndyCar gig that stand out? Or what TYPE of interviews do you most enjoy?

Lauren: I did a sit-down interview with Sarah Fisher from her garage in Indianapolis last May. This interview was really a follow-up to the same interview I did the year before when she was a first-time team owner/driver in the 500. It ended up being a favorite because I could really feel the growing pains she and her husband (and crew chief) had experienced in putting this team together and making it work.

Through all of it, she was so optimistic about the struggles and where her team was headed from there. She is really passionate about what she does and it shows. It’s no wonder Sarah is always a fan-favorite underdog whenever she is on the track. She is very genuine and you get that from her every time.

pressdog: What do fans/friends/family members ask you most about the IndyCar series, and how do you answer that question?

Lauren: Everyone wants to know if the drivers are all really as they seem on camera. The answer is easy because I can’t name one who isn’t exactly who you see on camera. They are race car drivers first... None of them got into this or do it for celebrity.

pressdog: So you're at the track, and it's LIVE, do you worry about screwing up during the interview? What's the funniest mistake you've made?

 Lauren: Luckily, my job is largely based on my personality and that of the drivers, so messing up isn’t really a worry at all. When it happens (and it does!), I like to think it just gives the fans even more of the “real” me. We all do it from time to time. It would be bad only if I tried to pretend like it never happens!

My favorite mistake was from the Firestone Indy Lights race at Iowa Speedway in 2008. The race was sponsored by Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors and was aptly called the Jeld-Wen 100. For some reason, the race title tripped me up the whole weekend and right at the end of prerace (consequently, the last time I had get it right), I was pumping up the crowd for the “Jed Wheldon 100!!!”

I broke down laughing so hard at myself that I couldn’t continue and my camera man himself was laughing so hard that the shot was visibly shaking. We joked the rest of the weekend about Dan’s uncle Jed, the race sponsor. Somehow, my producer didn’t find as much humor in it as we did!

pressdog: Would it be HYST-erical if you said something like "trying to get it in there" and the crowd said all at once "that's what she said"? (See Lauren's "that's what she said" montage in blooper reel below.)

Lauren: Umm... Of course! My job will be complete when that day comes. :)

pressdog: What did you want to be when you were 10?

Lauren: A fashion designer or a scientist. I’m not EVEN close to either...

pressdog: When us hooligan bloggers started showing up in the media center, were you frightened? Shocked? Affronted?

Lauren: I love to meet anyone who spends as much time being an IndyCar nerd as I do. (pressdog note: Kind answer, Lauren, but I was there and she looked frightened to me.)

pressdog: We know you're a huge pressdog.com fan, obviously (who isn't?) but do you cruise the blogs much?

Lauren: I try to keep up with all the current happenings, that’s part of the job. I can’t speak for others in specific, but I know that a lot of the league and driver PR people do. It’s important to know what the fans think and want to know about.

pressdog: Super most funnest, best part of your IndyCar duties?

Lauren: I have the best seat in the house for EVERY IndyCar event. Positively can’t beat it.

pressdog: Biggest drag of IndyCar duties?

Lauren: It adds up to a lot of time away from home. But you won’t hear me complaining any time soon (see above)!

pressdog: Would you like a shot at pit reporting or calling the race some day?

Lauren: I would never rule it out. Ideally, I would love for the network space to exist for a better lifestyle program that showcases our drivers. We have so many awesome personalities that I don’t think the fans are given enough access to. Hosting that show would be a dream.

pressdog: What are your other gigs these days? Pacers stuff? What's LoBo into?

Lauren: My off-seasons have always consisted of emceeing Indiana Pacer games and side-line reporting for Big Ten basketball. This year in particular, I’ve shifted the work to more commercial projects.

pressdog: Doing this interview makes you a Woman of pressdog.com. How do you feel about it? Affronted?

Lauren: My bucket list is now shorter. Many thanks to you, pressdog.

Check out the rest of the Women of pressdog.com HERE. View the most excellent LoBo Up to Speed 2009 Blooper Reel below. IT's HUGE! (That's what she said.)

Comments

[race fan]

I love her; she's smokin' hot. I have seen almost every Up To Speed episode. I'd like to be a racer so I could spend time with Lauren. She's so smart, skilled, talented and cute.

[Lauren fan]

I've been around Lauren, she is a total sweetheart and her smile...I'd love to see that everyday.

[realist]

Whatever, the fact that she's dating TK, just goes to show she's a groupie like all the rest.

[pressdog]

I nuked a comment that was here -- talking about someone's family is out of bounds.

[Gina fells]

How you guys could like or appreciate a person that start to date TK when he was still marriage with the mother of his son.
Leo was just 1 year old,and she was dating TK,while Daniele was taking care of the baby.
Common guys lets get the true
Everybody in IRL hates her,non of the wife's even talk or chat with her
That's why TK got divorce