NBC made a rare and surprising move earlier this year when they announced veteran racing commentator Leigh Diffey would be replacing longtime lead announcer Rick Allen in the middle of their NASCAR broadcast schedule.
Transitioning a play-by-play announcer during a season is extremely rare, and the adjustment for race analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, as well as everyone involved in the NASCAR production for NBC, must have been a challenge
But if you take it from Diffey’s teammates in the NBC broadcast booth, the move has gone off without a hitch.
In a conference call this week, Burton and Letarte both had very high praise for Diffey in coming to NASCAR full-time after announcing IndyCar races for NBC and being the lead voice for the network’s Olympic track and field coverage.
BURTON: Well, look, Leigh’s passion, and you’ve heard Leigh call races and other sporting events. Everybody is very much aware of what Leigh is capable of that has listened to him.
Prior to his NASCAR time — and he did work a few NASCAR races with us, but no surprise to me. Steve and I, we enjoy the opportunity to get the hell out of his way and let him do it. It’s important to know that there’s a time that I for sure need to shut up and let him roll. So, yeah, it’s been fun.
He’s had some big moments on top of that, right, some really big moments that happened since he’s been with us in regard to the close finishes, playoffs, all the things that have happened. He’s had some pretty iconic moments to call, and he’s done a great job at it.
LETARTE: I think what’s overlooked at times is that while Leigh is a new full-time member of our NASCAR booth, he’s surely not new to NBC and not even new to NASCAR.
I was fortunate enough to work with Leigh I don’t know if it was ’15, ’16. I don’t know the year, but it was at a Michigan race and a Watkins Glen race. I have worked with Leigh on INDYCAR, and I have worked with Leigh on IMSA, and I’m also a big fan and consumer of Leigh’s work.
[…]
I know my position, my place. I think Jeff does as well. Leigh does as well. They blend in a comfortable way over one another that I think Leigh — I feel zero responsibility to call those biggest moments.
My responsibility is to stay out of Leigh’s way. When it’s a strategy or a rule, he lets me do my job. When it’s a wreck or a driver situation, we let Jeff do his job. Yet we all have opinions on all three. So it’s just comfortable. I think it’s the best way to do it.
His energy is for sure unmatched, which is exciting for me. I’m an energetic guy, so to have somebody standing a couple of spots over bringing that same sort of energy makes it easier for me to just be my natural self.
The simple fact is we just love racing, whether we’re calling it on NBC or watching it at a bar having a beer or watching it on TV. We would be just as enthused as we are.
I think that’s really what we want the fan to understand is that while we are proud of the work and preparation and the team around us in production, we are covering a sport that we love. I think that makes the job easy to do, and for the three of us it just feels very comfortable.
Letarte also had particular praise for Diffey’s call of Harrison Burton’s stunning first win at Daytona as one of his favorite memories in the sport, including winning championships as a crew chief.
Leigh Diffey has been one of the most well regarded racing announcers for many years now and has risen through the ranks at NBC. Although he had one notable flub at this year’s Olympics in calling the wrong race winner in the men’s 100 meter sprint , he had several fantastic calls too .
Now NASCAR fans have been able to enjoy his work week in and week out for the first time and he’s clearly making a favorable impression after his first couple months in his new role.
[ NBC Sports ]
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