Watching a NASCAR race live on TV or streaming platforms is indeed a unique experience. Multiple camera angles and the resources deployed by the media companies lead to an immersive live racing experience. However, it is the broadcasters sitting in the booth who breathe life into the whole event with their voice and commentary skills. Leigh Diffey is one of the most prolific voices in the motorsports world, and he’s now made NASCAR his new home.

Diffey was roped into his new role calling NASCAR Cup Series playoff races. This wasn’t his first NASCAR event; he already has a bunch of Xfinity and Cup Series races under his belt. But this was his first full-time gig with NBC. Although stepping into the premier division of stock car racing has its thrill, Diffey’s departure from IndyCar is something he wishes he could’ve done a little differently.

Leah Diffey opens up on his exit from IndyCar

Diffey moved to the United States 20 years ago to announce races for Champ Car. He became a voice that resonated with the fans and was soon the lead host on NBC’s IndyCar roster in 2019. However, with FOX Sports taking over the entire IndyCar schedule, Diffey and his friends needed to find a new home.

Over the years, the Aussie worked with different companies and covered different disciplines of motorsports. He was a play-by-play commentator for SPEED Channel in the US, the BBC in the UK, and Network Ten in Australia, where he worked with Formula 1, IndyCar, MotoGP, and other sports. We often see drivers or former legends of the sport receive an ovation from the fans on the final race or game. This was the idea Diffey had in mind while bidding farewell to the IndyCar fans, but that couldn’t come to fruition.

Even the fans wanted NBC to celebrate Diffey’s contribution to the sport. But nothing like that happened, and the man himself revealed the reason behind his bittersweet exit from a place he called home. “My employer is involved in multiple properties, and they had, as I do, nothing but the utmost respect for IndyCar, and it wouldn’t have been nice to say. Oh, let’s make this a big deal of Leigh Duffy leaving IndyCar to go to NASCAR, and so you have to respect people who you’ve been in business with for a long time.” Diffey said this to SpeedCafe TV.

The veteran announcer even brought up the idea of a farewell to his boss. “I discuss this with my boss. As much as I would’ve liked the big ceremonial goodbye because I’ve done it for a long time, you have to think about the bigger picture. There’s a lot of people, and there’s a lot of money involved, and it was the right thing to do to let me go out the way that I went out in a more subtle way and just go off to the Olympics and gracefully transition into NASCAR.”

Diffey has a lot of respect and admiration for NASCAR

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In the 76 years of NASCAR’s history, there’s never been a foreign voice who had the opportunity to become a play-by-play announcer. But that changed with Leigh Diffey’s arrival at NASCAR. Although he has lived in the United States for twenty years now, his voice isn’t something fans are accustomed to hearing on Sundays. Despite the friction, his experience meeting with fans has been positive.

“I met a lot of fans at the racetrack, and I was very cautious, and I was very respectful, and I couldn’t have been more blown away by their hospitality and their reception to me. I don’t think that’s just because I was somebody new or something different. Even though I’ve lived here for twenty years, I think they did that because I had done my homework. And I have a lot of respect and love for the sport of NASCAR, and hopefully that continues to shine through.” The veteran announcer added.

If anything, the voice of “Jeff, your little boy has done it” will remain fresh in the memories of NASCAR fans. That race at Daytona was just an example of how profound an impact Leigh Diffey can have on a sport. And fans will be hoping that he can forge the same connection that he had with IndyCar fans here at NASCAR.