When NASCAR on NBC returns after the Olympic break in August, Leigh Diffey will be in the play-by-play chair previously occupied by Rick Allen.
According to a report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, Diffey — who currently serves as the lead broadcaster for NBC’s IndyCar coverage — will replace Allen either at the August 18th race in Michigan or the August 24th race at Daytona.
The news of the changes comes on the heels of another shuffling inside the NBC Sports booth, as NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his departure earlier this month. The NASCAR Hall of Famer will join the broadcast crews for Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports when they take over a mid-season package in 2025.
Allen has served as the lead play-by-play voice of the NASCAR package on NBC since the network acquired the rights in 2015. In addition to his work with the Cup Series, Allen has also called races for the lower-level Xfinity Series for NBC, too. He’ll continue in that role after Diffey steps into the network’s main chain in August. Additionally, Allen — a former decathlete at the University of Nebraska — has called track and field and college basketball for NBC during his tenure.
Leigh Diffey, an Australian-American, has called a bevy of properties for NBC during his tenure with the company, most notably Formula 1 and IndyCar, and has filled in for Rick Allen sporadically as a NASCAR on NBC play-by-play voice.
NBC Sports has secured a portion of the NASCAR rights through 2031, dropping from 20 races per year to 14.
The 2024 portion of NBC’s NASCAR schedule begins on Sunday, June 16th. The first half of the network’s coverage concludes with the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 21st before taking a two-week break to accommodate NBC’s extensive coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Well, for starters I am totally disappointed that Jr. won’t be in the booth. He and Burton were a perfect pair. I truly enjoyed their knowledge and experience in calling the races. I am not one bit happy about the news of whom you chose to be the play by play announcer. Maybe, whoever made these decisions at NBC Sports should be the one replaced. I think I’ll skip NBC and listen to Nascar Radio. You are the worst NBC.