Why Harrison Burton’s Stellar Daytona Win Was Leigh Diffey’s Favorite NASCAR Race from Debut Season

Leigh Diffey, who stepped into the NASCAR commentary booth following the summer Olympics for 14 races last year quickly became renowned for his deep understanding of the sport and his knack for making well-versed play-by-play calls. Often managing to stir emotions within his listeners via his immaculate pairing of words, one of his favorite races he’s called is the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

The same came to light when a fan recently inquired about his most memorable NASCAR race from 2024. Diffey responded, “From an emotional standpoint the Harrison Burton win in @DAYTONA was really special because of @JeffBurton being right there between @SteveLetarte & myself. From an excitement perspective … the @WGI win for @Chris_Buescher was an epic last lap!”

He had previously confessed that the victory was particularly special as Jeff Burton, Harrison’s father, was present right next to Diffey, allowing him to witness firsthand the joy it brought to the former NASCAR driver himself.

Discussing his declaration of Harrison as the winner before NASCAR’s official announcement, Diffey reflected, “I don’t know where those words came from. Maybe because I’m a father and when Harrison crossed the line, I looked at Jeff and just said, ‘Jeff, your little boy’s done it.’”

While that race secured Harrison Burton a spot in the playoffs, it also brought Diffey rapid acclaim for his insightful commentary. Among his admirers was Denny Hamlin, who was so impressed that he advocated for NASCAR to appoint Diffey as the announcer for all 36 races of the season, recognizing the value he added to the broadcast.

Chris Buescher’s thrilling WGI win is also among Diffey’s 2024 highlights

Among the Australian-American’s highlights from the 2024 season, another standout event was the Cup Series’ annual visit to Watkins Glen International, a race he regards as particularly thrilling.

Chris Buescher didn’t have a spot in the playoffs, but the RFK Racing driver clinched his inaugural road-course win during NASCAR Overtime at The Glen in the second race of the Round of 16, outmaneuvering road-course specialist Shane van Gisbergen in a final-lap showdown.

In the last few moments, SVG surged ahead with a daring maneuver, taking the lead from the second row. Buescher, however, was relentless in pursuit and the intense rivalry saw the #17 Ford and #16 Chevrolet clashing at the course’s Bus Stop chicane.

That set the stage for Buescher to dive on the inside of van Gisbergen’s Camaro in the Esses, ultimately securing a victory by a margin of 0.979 seconds over the popular Kiwi driver.

As Leigh Diffey gears up for the 2025 NASCAR Cup season, it remains to be seen how his enthusiasm will carry over to other high-stakes races as NBC Sports shares broadcast duties with several partners throughout the season.