“Make room, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, there’s another seven-time champ!” The commentator said this after Jimmie Johnson took his 7th Cup Series title, the words made the moment even more iconic. There have been several such iconic commentaries in NASCAR history. The latest one is by Leigh Diffey!

Whenever the recent Daytona race is discussed, yes, we will talk about that intense battle between Harrison Burton and Kyle Busch. But our minds will constantly echo the words of Diffey saying “Jeff, you little boy has done it!” Everyone who heard that, including Dale Earnhardt Jr, had goosebumps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr impressed by Leigh Diffey’s Daytona call

Leigh Diffey’s masterful commentary elevated the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 to an unforgettable experience. His legendary voice, honed through years of announcing Formula One, IndyCar, and even Olympic track and field events, added a layer of depth and emotion to the race. Diffey’s most impactful moment came at the end, as Harrison Burton and Kyle Busch battled for the lead. With a seamless transition, Diffey harkened back to Busch’s previous Daytona win before turning his attention to Burton’s incredible victory as he passed the two-time NASCAR Cup series champion. And fended him off bravely.

Diffey emotional call of “Jeff your little boy has done it” perfectly captured the moment, highlighting the personal connection between Burton and his father and NASCAR great, Jeff Burton, who was also part of the commentary team. Diffey’s exceptional storytelling and ability to connect with the audience made his commentary the highlight of the season. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in awe. Dale Jr. has been behind the mic and used to have the same energy as Diffey in the box.

Dale Jr in his recent podcast episode of ‘The Dale Jr download’, said, “Liegh’s energy is infectious. He loves to make those calls. He loves what his job is, and he loves racing. He is happy to be there. I have worked with him before. His personality and attitude, none of that surprised me on how he performed.” Dale Jr. further in the conversation, went on to talk about how drivers work hard to gain every single position. Be it the first or the last. This battle that goes on track has to be conveyed to the audience with the same intensity. Diffey, according to him, does that perfectly.

“Internally physically. They (drivers) are doing everything they can. They are terrified, they are excited, they are hoping they get back in one piece, they are hoping they cross the finish line with all four tires going straight. But they don’t know and they are coming around that corner and calamity can happen at any moment. It deserves to be acknowledged and the energy and all of the things Leigh brought did a really good job in helping you understand,” Dale Jr. further added.

According to Jr., commentary and its impact are slowly fading away. The hype and intensity that Leigh showed have now been transitioned into more straightforward and calmer words. Jr. reiterating that it shouldn’t be like this, said, “It’s just been this natural sort of evolution of just calling the race a little more straightforward and little calmer and a little upon the chip. I always say this and I know a lot of people do this, listen to an MRN broadcast. The energy that they give you, every lap is high energy. That’s the way it should always be. That’s the way the TV broadcast should also be. Since we as TV broadcast have a visual we dial it back unintentionally and take a little bit of our energy out of it.” 

Going forward, the season is going to keep getting more and more intense. And hopefully, we’ll get to hear the intensity on the broadcast. Dale Jr too is hopeful of hearing more of Leigh!

The NASCAR community is excited to hear more from Leigh

Trending

Reality Struck Shane van Gisbergen Has His Playoffs Chances Cut Short Even Before His Full Time Debut in 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing Potentially Blocking Truck Series Phenom on Denny Hamlin’s Radar After On-Track Bad Blood

“My Body Needed Time”: Tony Stewart’s Wife, Leah, Discloses Her Roadblocks to Motherhood Amid Racing Dilemma

NASCAR Fans Back Kyle Busch’s Son’s Desperate Plea Amidst Denny Hamlin’s ‘Bad Luck’ Reluctance

Dale Earnhardt Jr Pressures NASCAR to Punish Drivers ‘Crossing the Line’, Salutes SVG’s Racing Morals

The veteran motorsports announcer stepped into the role of lead commentator for NBC’s NASCAR Cup Series coverage. Taking over from Rick Allen, who had been the lead commentator since 2015, Diffey brings a wealth of experience to the position. While this isn’t Diffey’s first NASCAR race, his previous stints, including his memorable call of Kyle Larson’s 2017 Michigan Cup victory, have endeared him to NASCAR fans. Who wouldn’t be his fan? Dale Jr. surely is!

Reiterating this, he said, “I think Deffy is gonna do great. There were a lot of fans that loved the call as he does week after week. More and more fans are gonna get on that wagon, and by the end of the season, he’ll be one of the guys.” Not just Jr. but other NASCAR veterans including, Denny Hamlin was also in awe of the hypnotizing words of Leigh. Denny Hamlin just can’t get enough of him. In a recent episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental, he said, “Can we sign him up for 36 of 36 races? He is just fantastic. He knows how to match the moment. He brings…I don’t know what it is, it’s just the great ones know how to match the moment with their voice. They change the tone, they change the speed at which they’re calling a race.”

Let’s hope we get to hear Diffey in many many more races to come! Did you enjoy his commentary in the last race? How did you feel? Let us know in the comments below.