Rumors around long-time NTT IndyCar Series lead announcer Leigh Diffey’s switch to commentating for the NASCAR Cup Series have swirled around the racing fraternity for a long time. However, as reported by IndyStar, the Australian-American commentator will finally be jumping from the country’s premier open-wheeled series to the highest echelon of stock car racing as soon as later this month.
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As per reports, NBC Sports has already conveyed the expected change to their staff. Further speculation in the fraternity suggests the 53-year-old has already called his final IndyCar event as well. The veteran play-by-play announcer is set to share the NBC booth with NASCAR analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte during the upcoming 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. According to reports, Diffey will also be seen in the booth as the sport heads to Watkins Glen International later during the season.
Leigh Diffey's play-by-play is one of the best.
Selfishly, I am super excited to see him in the NASCAR Cup Series booth. However, I'll miss his voice during the INDYCAR broadcasts.
Making his booth debut at Daytona is WILD. Regardless, I hope INDYCAR gives him a proper… https://t.co/JQ7araY7LX
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) August 8, 2024
The Brisbane, Australia native will be taking the place of Cup Series announcer Rick Allen, whose voice will be seen commentating for the junior nationwide series of the sport. With varied experience such as being the lead announcer for the IndyCar Series since 2019 and also covering other racing genres such as IMSA to back up his new role as a NASCAR commentator, Diffey is expected to bring a new air of excitement to the sport.
While he is most notable for his IndyCar coverage in motorsports circles, Leigh Diffey also has six years of experience covering the Olympics as NBC Sports’ primary track and field announcer. However, this year’s Paris Olympics saw a rare slip-up from him.
“I got it wrong”
The NBC Sports commentator accepted his mistake after calling Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson the winner of the 100-meter sprint recently. The race in question was won by America’s Noah Lyles. The event ended in a photo finish which saw Lyles narrowly taking victory over his competitors.
“The men’s 100 was epic & closest of all time! My eyes & instinct told me Kishane Thompson won,” Diffey wrote in a subsequent social media post. “Obviously, that wasn’t the case. I shouldn’t have been so bold to call it, but I genuinely thought he won. I got it wrong.”
Noah Lyles became the first American sprinter to have won the 100-meter sprint for the country in over 20 years. With only two weekends to go until Diffey’s highly anticipated NASCAR return, it remains to be seen how well the veteran announcer is received by the stock car racing fraternity.
Meanwhile, drivers and teams gear up to compete for the regular season championship as the sport resumes racing after the 2-week Olympic break at Richmond Raceway.
