“Make room for Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. There’s another seven-time champ! Jimmie Johnson wins his 7th Cup championship.”And if you remember that historic moment from Homestead Miami in 2016, the only thing that could match Johnson’s win was the call behind the mic.

And the man behind the microphone hardly needs an introduction. But in a strange move, NBC suddenly booted Rick Allen from their Cup Series broadcast team mid-season in 2024. Now, we’re not complaining about Leigh Diffey. He’s a solid replacement, no doubt. But still, Allen is missed. And with no clear spot for him in any of the broadcast booths, fans are throwing out their own ideas.

The curious case of Rick Allen

NBC made the bizarre move as the curtains drew close to the regular season. This was the second race after the Olympic break and what suddenly changed in the NBC headquarters during the break is confusing. But the Coke Zero Sugar 400 had Diffey in Allen’s seat. And as Harrison Burton bravely defended against a desperate Kyle Busch, Diffey, while congratulating Jeff Burton, said, “Jeff, your little boy has done it!”

Fans loved it so much that Rick Allen’s absence wasn’t even felt. Even so, let’s not forget for 10 years he’s called races for the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. Post his exit from the Cup Series, Allen went to the Xfinity Series before CW took over the broadcast from the Bristol race till the end.

With CW now set to air the full 2025 Xfinity season, featuring Jamie McMurray and Parker Kligerman as analysts and Adam Alexander as play-by-play, it seems like Allen’s broadcasting career might be coming to a close.

But it’s safe to assume that’s true. There is no place in the NBC booth. It’s unlikely that Diffey would be replaced. One speculation is that to prevent Diffey from going to Fox in 2025 to call IndyCar races, NBC made this hap hazardous change mid-season. So he’s not going anywhere. And then neither are Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton.

There aren’t many options for him unless Allen quits NBC and moves to another network. And that’s exactly what fans want. They want him to go back to his broadcasting roots.

Fans call Rick Allen back to the Truck Series

Trending

1

Why Was Tony Stewart Ditched by $14.7 Billion Partner For Carl Edwards?

2

When Sponsor’s Revolt: NASCAR’s ‘Worst’ Driver Dragged to Court Over Shocking Issue

3

NASCAR’s Major Shakeup After Chase Elliott’s Brutal Criticism Earns Cup Series Teams’ Respect

4

“Don’t Need NASCAR”- Mike Wallace Warned Against Repeating His Children’s Mistakes Amidst Daytona 500 Fallout

Allen first broke into broadcasting as a public address announcer at the University of Nebraska and Eagle Raceway. Then, from 2003, he spent 11 years calling the Truck Series races for Fox. And now, fans want him back. One fan wrote, “I think he should go back to Fox and do Trucks again.”

Right now, Jamie Little, Phil Parsons, and Michael Waltrip call most of the Truck Series races. As one fan put it, “Couldn’t make that program worse. Rick Allen definitely had a great voice for the Truck Series.” And we agree! Imagine Allen back in that lineup—it’d be a huge upgrade, especially with how new Jamie Little is to broadcasting.

And kind of everyone agrees that “It would be great to see him call trucks again.” Allen’s first gig as a commentator was back in 2003 when he called the Daytona race (Florida Dodge Dealers 250). Rick Crawford took home the win, and Allen’s call of that three-wide finish sounded as smooth as any seasoned broadcaster. Fans would love to hear him in that setting again.

However, some fans are a little torn. As one person puts, “It’ll be weird to not see him call Cup after finally getting used to him in the past couple of years.” And yeah, after all those years with NBC, it’s definitely a change.

Still, with the rise of remote broadcasts, maybe Rick’s experience could help make those broadcasts feel less, well, remote. As one fan put it, “I’ll take him back for Trucks. I cannot do another season of Jamie Little remote broadcasts.” We get it—remote broadcasts have definitely been a mixed bag.

Now, there’s one fan with a different idea: “I could see him taking a year or two off and then replacing Mike Joy when he retires.” While we love Allen, let’s be real—Mike Joy is a legend. Nobody wants him to step away anytime soon. Well, not all. Some don’t mind Joy calling quits.

So, what do you think? Should Rick Allen return to the Truck Series or make a comeback in the Cup Series? Or maybe there’s a completely different spot that fits him better? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!