A new voice will be swirling across airwaves for Saturday's Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona is one of NASCAR's biggest draws. As such, it needs an announcer fit to adorn the event with all the flourish it so richly deserves. Enter Leigh Diffey, NBC's lead play-by-play man for the Olympics' track and field events and one of motorsports' most iconic voices.
Diffey will take the reins of NBC's Cup Series coverage for the foreseeable future, replacing legendary broadcaster Rick Allen during Saturday's race, the network announced on Tuesday.
His placement into the Cup Series lineup shakes things up across the board for NBC; Allen will move on down to the Xfinity Series, while Diffey's void in IndyCar coverage will be filled by veteran broadcaster Kevin Lee.
MORE: Watch NASCAR races with Fubo (free trial)
Here's what you need to know about the eye-catching changes set to take place across NBC's motorsports coverage.
Why Leigh Diffey is calling NASCAR race this weekend
It's not an aberration you're seeing. Leigh Diffey, formerly of IndyCar and Olympic fame, will be manning the broadcast booth for Sunday's Cup Series race at Daytona, the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Diffey is taking charge of NBC's NASCAR coverage until the end of the season. He's one of motorsports most prolific crooners, lending his vocal chops to a series of the sport's greatest series, including Formula One, IMSA, Supercross and MotoGP.
MORE: NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie OK after car flips at Michigan race
The Australian-American filled in for Allen in the booth two times back in 2017. With IndyCar moving to Fox in 2025, Diffey says that the time was right for him to make a change, too. His decision to remain with NBC also opens up opportunities for him to continue contributing to the network's Supercross and IMSA coverage.
“Given the fact that IndyCar is moving to a new home, that certainly opens up the opportunity for me to do more NASCAR,” Diffey said, per The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi. “And, obviously, in collaboration with Supercross and IMSA and the other properties that I work on at the network, I think it looks optimistic for the future, for sure.”
Diffey feels his prior experiences put him in a unique position to serve up intrigue from atop the ivory tower that is the broadcast booth. While living in Australia in the 1990s, Diffey soundtracked "the Australian version of NASCAR."
MORE: Full results, standings from FireKeepers Casino 400 in Michigan
Nearly 30 years later and Diffey will get a chance to try his luck at the real thing.
"I’ve been so fortunate to live and work all around the world and been to so many different tracks around the world, and of course, here in North America," Diffey said. "But still at this stage of my career to experience something new to me, that’s really exciting.
