Commentators play a crucial role in the game, narrating the events and the technicalities that might get lost on fans. They are the ones who keep the show going during monotonous spells during the play. Commentators are experts on the matter, and they convey it in a way that’s both entertaining and informative. Earlier this year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. left NBC Sports’ NASCAR team after serving as a color commentator since 2018, opting to share his expertise with Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon.

Junior’s departure came as a big loss for NBC, as he was their star analyst. Now, with NBC broadcasting 20 of the 36 Cup Series races this season, they’ll lean on Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, and Rick Allen for coverage—unless they bring in another analyst to fill Dale Jr.’s shoes. Similarly, Leigh Diffey has been a legendary voice of IndyCar for over a decade, and now he’s been upgraded to the NASCAR Cup Series. While most fans are happy about NBC’s move, some have been devastated by the news.

The role played by Leigh Diffey has made him a popular household name

The teacher-turned-commentator started his professional motorsport broadcasting career back in 1995. After almost thirty years in the profession, Leigh Diffey’s career has rounded up pretty well. He went on from announcing at local motorcycle tracks in Brisbane to the NASCAR Cup, America’s biggest motorsport series. The man also hosted NBC’s NASCAR America podcast, getting a good grip on the auto racing championships.

Diffey might have made his last IndyCar race call at the Iowa Speedway doubleheader in mid-July. The announcement isn’t official as of yet, but as per sources, Leigh Diffey will be moving to the NASCAR top-tier booth. He’ll be starting this August at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway alongside Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte. As per a post shared on X by Nathan Brown, who is an IndyCar court reporter for @IndyStarSports, “@nbc has told staffers internally that @leighdiffey will make his long-rumored shift to @NASCARonNBC booth for the Aug. 24 Cup race at @DAYTONA, per to multiple sources.”

Diffey’s sudden shift comes as a result of longtime NBC Cup series announcer Rick Allen focusing on NBC’s Xfinity series coverage for the remainder of the 2024 season.

So what helped Leigh Diffey reach the top series after all? With immense dedication to his art and connections with the right set of people, he landed a job with NBC on their Formula 1 and IndyCar broadcasts in 2013. But his boss at the time, Sam Flood, ensured that he used his resources optimally. And owing to Diffey’s wide-spanning sportscasting exposure, he was given race calls to fill in for various sports on a need basis. Diffey has covered some big events like Indianapolis 500 races play-by-play as the lead announcer over six years, ever since NBC acquired its exclusive rights.

Apart from covering IndyCar since 2013, Diffey has now also covered six Olympics, and his experience on the track and field has helped him perform better as a motorsport commentator and vice versa. His adaptations to different races and the peculiarities of its athletes are what truly make him legendary.

IndyCar fans are not happy

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As his transition news was sparked by Nathan Brown through a tweet, there is still a chance that Diffey will share a parting message for his IndyCar fans. And now IndyCar will see Kevin Lee filling in for Diffey in the remaining season.

Fans are utterly unprepared to bid farewell to their beloved commentator, and many express their feelings on Brown’s tweet. A user wrote, “Terrible news. We want @leighdiffey in Indy car.”

Another user speculated about the absence of a proper farewell, as they commented, “If NBC don’t let Leigh give an on-air farewell to Indycar fans i will be incredibly disappointed. the man has championed IndyCar for over a decade, especially during the 2013-2015 period when the series was in rough shape. obviously this is the last year but still feels harsh” It is true that Leigh Diffey has held fans together through the ups and downs of IndyCar’s history.

Some other users, still upset about the news, brought themselves together to congratulate the luminary. One user wrote, “Congratulations, Leigh NASCAR gain is Indycar loss… I’ll miss you!!”

Then others couldn’t keep to themselves just what they felt. “Very sad. Leigh has a lot of fans in INDYCAR. I think it’s only right that he have a final broadcast and farewell. I think there would be a big outpouring of appreciation for him at whatever the venue. @IndyCaronNBC”

As the iconic broadcaster starts his gig as the lead announcer at the Cup Series soon, do you think he’ll be a good replacement for the outgoing Rick Allen?