Jason Kelce’s NASCAR cameo at Talladega may not have excited the entire sport’s fanbase, but nobody can take away from the fun and success that weekend brought him while working alongside Hendrick Motorsports.
The former Philadelphia Eagles center returned to his New Heights podcast to explain his entire experience to his NFL brother, Travis Kelce, who signed a new deal that runs through 2028 to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jason spent his NASCAR race weekend working with Corey Day’s No. 17 team in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, tackling multiple pit-road responsibilities in a hands-on role. Luckily for Kelce, he wasn’t part of the Cup Series pit crew for Chase Briscoe, who smashed into a crew member during a pit stop at Talladega and earned a substantial safety violation as a result.
“I am a Talladega champ,” he told his brother Travis Kelce. “That’s right. Corey Day, first time racing at Talladega, ended up winning.”
“What they had me doing, I was a sign man,” he explained. “So you put the sign down on pit road, which lets the driver know where to stop. Sometimes you might want to stop it short. Sometimes you might want to stop where he normally stops. Sometimes you want to stop a little wide. It was a pretty technical job of the sign guy to move it up a bit.”
“Then they would have me be in the gas. I don’t even know if there’s a title for it. I was passing the gas cans. You were handing it to the gas man. I was passing the fuel in,” Kelce continued. “And let me tell you, we won first place. I was the best f—ing gas can passer on pit road that day, baby. Champions! 1-0, baby!”
Jason’s Talladega appearance drew major backlash from online NASCAR fans who felt his presence overshadowed the sport. Critics called out what they described as overexposure, with some arguing that his growing presence across multiple sports had started to wear thin.
Kelce didn’t seem bothered by the noise and instead acknowledged the strict safety requirements that came with working near the car. He even explained that his flame-resistant gear was mandatory for anyone handling fuel and joking that he might not have fully complied with the rules about covering his beard.
While Jason continues to complete side quests in his retirement, Travis is preparing for his 14th NFL season, just his second after missing the playoffs.
Since franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s 2025 season-ending injury, the team has signed veteran Justin Fields and drafted ex-LSU star Garrett Nussmeier. Kansas City also drafted Tigers cornerback Mansoor Delane after trading away Pro Bowler Trent McDuffie in the same position.