Kelli Stavast

Kelli Stavast
Stavast in 2011
Born
Colorado, U.S.
OccupationTV sports announcer
Years active2002–2021
SpouseGavin Kelly

Kelli L. Stavast is an American sportscaster who formerly worked for NBC Sports as a pit reporter for both their NASCAR (in both the Cup and Xfinity Series) and IndyCar Series coverage. She has reported for numerous other forms of motorsports throughout her career, as well as diving at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and freestyle skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang.

Early life and education

Stavast was raised in Denver, Colorado.[1] She attended Chapman University where she graduated in 2002 with a broadcast journalism degree.[2]

Career

In 2015, Stavast joined NBC's returning NASCAR coverage as a pit reporter. She was announced to be joining the broadcast team on January 22, 2014, along with Marty Snider.[3] They would be joined by Dave Burns and Mike Massaro (announced later in the year) as NBC's four pit reporters for the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series. Stavast was the only original member of the NBC broadcast team hired without prior experience covering NASCAR, although she did report for other forms of motorsports for NBC, Speed, and ESPN including the Grand-Am, American Le Mans Series (and those two series when they merged to become IMSA), Stadium Super Truck Series, and Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.[4]

She was also a reporter for NBC coverage of diving at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, as well as freestyle skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang.[2] Stavast interviewed skier Madison Olsen.[5]

On October 2, 2021, Stavast interviewed Brandon Brown after his victory at the Xfinity Series' Sparks 300, while the crowd was chanting "Fuck Joe Biden" in the background.[6] During the interview, Stavast misquoted the chant as, "Let's Go Brandon". It is unclear whether she legitimately misheard the chant or whether she intentionally misquoted it.[7] After footage of the interview went viral, the phrase "Let's Go Brandon" became a political slogan and a meme to mock president Joe Biden as a minced oath.[8][9][10] It was Stavast's last race with NBC Sports, who did not retain her for later broadcasts and quietly removed her from the staff directory. Racer writer Kelly Crandall noted in late 2023 that Stavast "has been quiet" since the race.[11]

Personal life

Stavast moved to Las Vegas in 2016 to be with her fiancé Gavin Kelly, who is also an American sportscaster covering NASCAR and IndyCar Series. The couple were introduced to each other through Kurt Busch, who is a close friend of Gavin's.[12]

References

  1. ^ Hamilton, Scott (September 16, 2015). "Hamilton: Pit reporter Stavast has one crazy office". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Norwood, Robyn (February 6, 2018). "Kelli Stavast '02 Takes on Olympic Assignment for NBC". Chapman University. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  3. ^ Estrada, Chris (January 22, 2014). "Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast added to NBC's NASCAR on-air team". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  4. ^ Alloway, Phil (April 23, 2019). "The Life of a Racing Pit Reporter: Kelli Stavast". Frontstretch. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Rosenthal, Rosenthal. "Needed: Less Tara, Johnny, more Scott". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Long, Colleen (October 30, 2021). "How 'Let's Go Brandon' became code for insulting Joe Biden". The Associated Press. Retrieved November 19, 2021. The crowd behind him was chanting something at first difficult to make out.
  7. ^ Fryer, Jenna (November 5, 2021). "NASCAR denounces 'Let's go, Brandon' conservative rally cry". The Associated Press. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  8. ^ Bremner, Jade. "Why are MAGA supporters chanting 'Let's Go Brandon' to mock Democrats?". The Independent . Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Linskey, Annie (November 15, 2021). "How 'Let's go Brandon' became an unofficial GOP slogan". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  10. ^ Parker, Ashley; Wolf, Carissa (October 23, 2021). "Biden's critics hurl increasingly vulgar taunts". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Pruett, Marshall; Crandall, Kelly (December 6, 2023). "The RACER Mailbag, December 6". Racer. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Ryan, Nate (May 9, 2017). "NASCAR on NBC podcast, Ep. 77: Kelli Stavast on covering racing (and many other sports)". NBC Sports.