Kelli Stavast | |
|---|---|
 Stavast in 2011 | |
| Born | Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation | TV sports announcer |
| Years active | 2002–2021 |
| Spouse | Gavin Kelly |
Kelli L. Stavast is an Americansportscaster who formerly worked forNBC Sports as a pit reporter for both theirNASCAR (in both theCup andXfinity Series) andIndyCar Series coverage. She has reported for numerous other forms of motorsports throughout her career, as well asdiving at the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro andfreestyle skiing at the2018 Winter Olympics inPyongchang.
Stavast was raised in Denver, Colorado.[1] She attendedChapman University where she graduated in 2002 with a broadcast journalism degree.[2]
In 2015, Stavast joined NBC's returningNASCAR 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 byDave Burns andMike 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, andESPN including theGrand-Am,American Le Mans Series (and those two series when they merged to becomeIMSA),Stadium Super Truck Series, andLucas 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 skierMadison Olsen.[5]
On October 2, 2021, Stavast interviewedBrandon Brown after his victory at theXfinity 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 wentviral, the phrase "Let's Go Brandon" became apolitical slogan and ameme to mock presidentJoe Biden as aminced 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]
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 throughKurt Busch, who is a close friend of Gavin's.[12]
The crowd behind him was chanting something at first difficult to make out.