Who is Telvin McClurkin? Meet RFK’s pit crew star turning heads after viral Daytona stunt

Pit crew athlete and Brad Keselowski’s tire carrier, Telvin McClurkin, became a hot topic in the garage after his risky pit road stunt during last Saturday’s (August 23) Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. If it weren’t for McClurkin, the No. 6 team could have suffered a pit road penalty.

At one point during the race, Cody Osburn, another pit crew member, was seen pouring fuel into Keselowski’s car when it took off, dragging Osburn along with it. Putting safety on the line, McClurkin used his body like a shield to collide with Osburn. Thanks to Telvin McClurkin, the team didn’t get penalized on pit road.

On that note, RFK Racing lauded McClurkin through a short note on X.

“Putting his body on the line for the team,” the team statement read. “Telvin McClurkin, Tire Carrier for the No. 6, purposely collided with his teammate, Cody Osburn, to not get a penalty on pit road in Daytona. Great awareness and teamwork.”

A native of Columbia, North Carolina, Telvin McClurkin is a former junior class football player. Well, that explains his resilience. And this isn’t the first time McClurkin has done something remarkable on pit road. Back in 2017, he got his foot run over by a car during a pit stop, but stood back up like nothing ever happened.

McClurkin has been with RFK Racing for over a decade. Since joining the team as Pit Department Manager in 2015, he has held various positions, overseeing pit road management, mechanical maintenance, and repair services. McClurkin also used to represent RFK Racing in face-to-face interactions with NASCAR sponsors.

Today, McClurkin is responsible for $1.5 million worth of equipment in the team's garage. A standard day in his life involves overseeing day-to-day practices, overseeing workout activities, ensuring that SOPs are followed, attending captains' meetings with team supervisors and coaches, debriefing the team on its performance, and conducting weekly evaluations. He also sees that the team completes all assigned tasks for the day, while ensuring quality control.

Fast forward to last weekend's race, Brad Keselowski logged a P18 finish, picking up 19 points on the way. He didn’t make the playoffs this year, but will compete for a win this coming Sunday at Darlington Raceway. The historic 1.366-mile "egg-shaped" oval will host the first race of the 2025 playoffs.

Named the Cook Out Southern 500, the 367-lap event will be televised on USA (August 31, 6 p.m. ET) and will have live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe is the defending winner of the event.

Back when Telvin McClurkin revealed what it takes to be a pit road athlete

One might wonder why a tire carrier, or even a fuel man, is often referred to as pit road ‘athletes’. They are not the ones driving the car, so what’s so athletic about their jobs? Well, Telvin McClurkin has the answer.

In an episode of the Speed and Swear series, McClurkin explained what it takes to be a pit-road athlete.

“You got to be agile and just quick lateral movements, you know, helps us out a lot,” McClurkin explained. “Squats help out a lot being able to get in as well flexibility just to get down there and a lot of like hip mobility you have upper emphasis but I really love lower emphasis stage because it helps me get my hamstrings and my calves and ankle mobility."

“We also have Mobility days we have Plyometrics and Speed and Agility and just it helps us running cone drills and we practice ladder drills and anything that can get us in a quick burst,” he added.

NASCAR is a team sport, and it takes all pit crew members working in perfect harmony for the team to execute a good day of racing. Telvin McClurkin’s workout regimen shows just how much work the pit crew members put in each weekend.