Diffey out of IndyCar

Ace television commentator Leigh Diffey is almost certain to be joining Shane van Gisbergen on the NASCAR trail from 2025.

The transplanted Aussie spruiker has called his last IndyCar race in the broadcasting seat at the NBC network in the USA but, as yet, there has been no confirmation of his future.

He is expected to continue with NBC Sports, where he has held a key role in its motorsports coverage for more than a decade and where he also reports other elite sports.

There are strong rumours that NBC will take a pivotal role in NASCAR coverage from next year, a move that would affect Diffey, but nothing is official for now.

Diffey cannot talk about his future plans, beyond the basics.

“Everything is good for me over here,” he told Auto Action while travelling to Iowa for his final IndyCar calls.

Ironically, there were breakthrough victories at the event for the ANZAC duo of Scott McLaughlin and Will Power.

McLaughlin scored his first win on an oval since heading to the USA and it was the first time Power, now the winner of 43 IndyCar races, had finished first at the track.

For Diffey, there was a special celebration as he took his two teenaged sons to the event to celebrate the end of another chapter in his motorsport career.

The 53-year-old began as a local motocross track commentator in Queensland before moving up to SuperCars broadcasts, then time in Britain on World Superbikes and the World Rally Championship, as well as Formula One, before making the now-permanent move to the USA.

Despite the public uncertainty about the future of the motorsports anchor, Diffey showed no concern.

“I’m really excited about the future, with lots of great things coming up,” he said.

The first of those is a return to the Olympic Games, in Paris, the sixth time he has been an NCB commentator following stints at summer and winter games in Russia, Brazil, Korea, Japan and China.

Diffey is the lead caller for the track-and-field events in Paris, but his expertise has previously seen him calling the bobsled, luge and skeleton downhill events at winter games.

His role at NBC Sport has also included major international rugby contests.

The end of Diffey’s time on IndyCar, including the Indianapolis 500, comes as FOX takes over as the series’ new broadcast partner.

The new FOX deal was confirmed on June 16 and means the network will have rights to both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500 next February.

If there is a move to NASCAR, it will be another back-to-the-future move for Diffey, as he was a play-by-play caller on the Xfinity series in 2015 and stepped up to the Cup coverage on an occasional basis through to 2019.

There is no detail yet on how the broadcast changes in the USA will affect viewers in Australia.

Photo by Michael L. Levitt / LAT Images

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