Kelli Stavast | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | TV sports announcer |
Years active | 2002–present |
Known for | Reporter on NASCAR on NBC and IndyCar on NBC |
Spouse | Gavin[1] |
Kelli L. Stavast (born January 30, 1980)[2] is an American sportscaster who works 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.
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 a 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.[5] Stavast received poor reviews after asking skier Madison Olsen about the death of her father in an interview.[6][7]
In October 2021, Stavast conducted an interview with NASCAR driver Brandon Brown following his win at the Talladega Superspeedway. While on air, fans in the grandstands chanted "Fuck Joe Biden". In the on-air interview, Stavast described the chant as "Let's go Brandon". Since the Federal Communications Commission prohibits broadcasting profanity during daytime hours, a Deadline Hollywood writer described Stavast as "either hard of hearing, or a very, very quick thinker".[8][9]
Personal life
Stavast attended Chapman University where she graduated in 2002 with a broadcast journalism degree.[5] She grew up in Colorado and moved to Las Vegas where her then-fiancé Gavin was living when she got engaged in 2016.[1] They married in 2018.[10]
References
- ^ a b Jones, Kaitlin (February 20, 2016). "NASCAR Pit Reporter Kelli Stavast Shares Sunset Proposal Story, "Timeless" Ring Details". The Knot. XO Group. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "Kelli L. Stavast". Coloradovoters.info. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ Estrada, Chris (January 22, 2014). "Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast added to NBC's NASCAR on-air team". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ Alloway, Phil (April 23, 2019). "The Life of a Racing Pit Reporter: Kelli Stavast". Frontstretch. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Norwood, Robyn (February 6, 2018). "Kelli Stavast '02 Takes on Olympic Assignment for NBC". Chapman University. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ Rosenthal, Rosenthal. "Needed: Less Tara, Johnny, more Scott". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Medal Stand: NBC's Stavast Goes For Cheap Emotions In Interview". Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (October 3, 2021). "NBC Reporter Kelli Stavast Salvages Embarrassing NASCAR Interview With Verbal Dexterity". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Schwedel, Heather (October 22, 2021). "The Story Behind "Let's Go Brandon," the Secretly Vulgar Chant Suddenly Beloved by Republicans". Slate.
- ^ "Kelli Stavast on Instagram: "Closed out 2018 in the best way possible...finally making good on my commitment to marry this incredible man @gavinernstone . Can't wait to…"". Instagram. Retrieved 9 August 2020.[non-primary source needed]