How Leigh Diffey grew to become the voice of American motorsport

You realize his voice, even in the event you’ve by no means seen his face. It’s heat but pressing, authoritative but inviting with an unmistakable timbre just like the hum of a V8 engine earlier than it roars to life. When the race is calm, his voice is regular and measured, however because the motion reaches a fever pitch, he crackles with pleasure whereas delivering every syllable with the boldness of somebody who has spent many years residing and respiration motorsport. Way more than only a commentator, Leigh Diffey is a maestro who might inject a burst of power right into a tortoise race – and he doesn’t solely inform you what’s occurring, he makes you’re feeling it. 

You’ve heard Diffey’s Australian lilt all over the place. The 100m dash finals on the Paris Olympics with one of many closest finishes in historical past? That was Diffey. The Indy 500? You wager, and he was the voice of IndyCar for over a decade. He’s soundtracked NBC’s System 1 protection within the US and continues to guide the community’s slate of motorsport choices, together with NASCAR and the Rolex 24, the place I managed to steal a second of his time throughout a business break.

Leigh Diffey, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, mid-interview in the course of the 2022 IndyCar Portland GP race weekend

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photographs

Though the commentary field wasn’t on his radar till early maturity, Diffey’s ambition grew shortly, and he left the job of a lifetime in Australia to chase a fair greater dream on the opposite facet of the world. Nevertheless, the 53-year-old’s path to the top didn’t start within the paddock, however in a classroom outdoors Brisbane, the place he labored as a schoolteacher in his early twenties and toyed with the concept of a profession in farming.

Earlier than Diffey’s dulcet tones have been heard all over the world, he was juggling an eclectic mixture of jobs. “I labored within the health trade as a gymnasium and aerobics teacher, I labored on constructing websites as a chippie’s laborer [Ed. note: a carpenter, in Australian], and I labored on the theme park Warner Brothers Film World,” he recollects. “This was all on the identical time — I used to be doing all the things and something.” Whilst a youngster engaged on a tomato farm, he absorbed classes that formed his work ethic. “I had an incredible boss who taught me there’s no such factor as a free lunch.”

After taking a job as a bodily schooling trainer at a prestigious all-boys college, Diffey was met by destiny when some mates he used to race grime bikes with requested him to deal with public-address asserting duties at an area motorbike membership meet. “I naturally had a really energetic fashion,” he says, admitting a few of his early commentary “in all probability wasn’t all that factual.” His enthusiasm, nonetheless, laid the groundwork for mastering the artwork of race calling. “My ardour helped lead me to the entire different intrinsic components of constructing a great race name,” he explains, attributing his storytelling abilities to full of life conversations across the household dinner desk. “Possibly it got here to me by way of osmosis,” he muses.

Doorways quickly began to open for Diffey as he ascended the ranks in Australia, finally touchdown a coveted job that just about actually would have seen him develop into one of many nation’s most recognizable figures in sport. “I used to be a reporter on Sports activities Tonight masking so many various motorsport classes, and I began to get alternatives overseas actually early on in my profession. I acquired the bug for [moving overseas], and I would met a gentleman within the UK who was very nicely linked, so I left what might have been the job of a lifetime in Australia to chase the massive dream,” he recollects. 

That lofty dream was maybe the loftiest dream attainable within the small world of commentating: supplanting the long-time, deeply beloved voice of System 1 when he retired in 2001. “I’d satisfied myself that I used to be going to interchange Murray Walker, which was a fantastic naivety and youthful exuberance,” he says with amusing. He even cold-called Bernie Ecclestone to throw his hat within the ring. “I acquired shut, I acquired to the ultimate three.”

James Allen (now this publication’s president of motorsport enterprise) in the end secured the position at ITV, the place he was the community’s lead commentator for seven years till they misplaced the published rights in 2008. However I ask Diffey what life may need seemed like if he was profitable, and dove headfirst into System 1 within the early 2000s. “I believe it will have been powerful purely as a result of I might have been a foreigner stepping in and I used to be nonetheless so younger and so inexperienced …  take a look at the hardship and the criticism that James confronted. He was already a part of the workforce, and he’s English,” Diffey says of the fixed comparisons made between different pundits and the late, nice Walker . “I’m now well-tenured having lived within the US for over 20 years. I do know what it’s prefer to be a foreigner doing huge, huge occasions, however again then … I believe it will have been considerably of a poisoned chalice.”

After a brief stint within the UK with the BBC, he moved stateside to affix Pace Channel as a play-by-play announcer, earlier than inking a take care of NBC in 2013. The community held F1’s American broadcast rights till 2017, that means Diffey was the voice of the collection for 4 years. “I actually take pleasure in strolling by way of airports now and seeing children, and adults, carrying Purple Bull shirts or McLaren caps, as a result of at the same time as lately as after we have been doing F1 on NBC, that was fairly sparse,” he recollects, noting that the rise of F1 fandom represents a broader victory for all types of motorsport. “As an alternative of carrying a New York Yankees shirt, they’re carrying a McLaren shirt, and that’s nice for our sport.” 

Additionally nice for the game, in Diffey’s eyes: an American driver in F1: “I might be shocked in the event you did not see Colton Herta in one of many seats,” he predicts once I ask about Cadillac’s 2026 arrival, referring to the IndyCar star who partnered Lando Norris of their junior single-seater careers. “That’s the final lacking piece of the puzzle of the American System 1 success story: having a [competitive] driver.”

AJ Allmendinger, Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish, for NBC at Highway Atlanta, 2019 IMSA race

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photographs

As we converse, Diffey is gearing up for one of the vital notoriously grueling challenges in racing: the Rolex 24 on the Daytona Worldwide Speedway. “We’ve a rotating workforce, so all of us faucet out and faucet in, however you may’t go too distant. You’ve acquired to maintain your eye on the race to keep up the thread of the story,” he explains. Throughout a go to to race management, within the room subsequent door to the NBC sales space, I spot blow-up mattresses beneath desks, makeshift hammocks between workstations and trash cans stuffed with espresso cups. Sleep is difficult to return by throughout an endurance race, so that you relaxation anyplace you may. “We’re both at the back of the sales space or we’re within the manufacturing trailer,” Diffey tells me. Though there are a whole lot of drivers and numerous tales to inform, 24 hours continues to be loads of airtime to fill. “When there’s not a lot occurring, that is while you earn your cash,” he says with amusing.

Outdoors of motorsport, Diffey’s voice has develop into a staple of Olympic broadcasts, together with the most-watched 10 seconds of the Paris Video games: the 100m dash remaining. “There’s loads of parallels and crossover between motorsport and monitor and area,” he says. “With the 100-meter, me and my teammate Ato Bolden, the 4 time Olympic medalist, could have a pre-set rhythm in order that the published is seamless. Sometimes we’ll have a little bit of silence so you may hear the gun and construct anticipation, you then get into the race name.” 

He goes along with his intestine and 99% of the time he will get it proper, however he’s additionally the primary to confess when he’s made a mistake. “I acquired it improper,” he wrote on Instagram final summer time after incorrectly figuring out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson because the winner of the 100m remaining, quite than American sprinter, Noah Lyles. “You’ve simply acquired to go along with what your eyes see,” he tells me. With six Olympics beneath his belt, Diffey hopes to name the 2032 Video games in his hometown of Brisbane. “That will be one thing particular,” he says.

His subsequent huge problem, nonetheless, is constant to win over hardcore NASCAR followers unaccustomed to listening to an Aussie accent within the commentary sales space. Diffey joined analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte because the collection’ lead announcer after IndyCar moved to FOX final 12 months, and he’s already incomes rave evaluations.  

“You are by no means going to please everyone, however I used to be completely sincere and open with the fan base by saying ‘I’ve by no means been to Talladega, I’ve by no means been to Bristol, I’ve by no means been to Martinsville.’ 

“I had this child-like enthusiasm and wonderment, and I believe viewers acquired to see the true me,” he explains. When he headed to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 for his first race within the huge chair final August, he made certain his homework was performed. “It was powerful coming in later within the 12 months once I had already performed Supercross, IMSA, IndyCar, the Indy 500, and the Olympics. I put together finest once I compartmentalize. I had so many different issues I needed to deal with and do a great job with first, particularly Paris,” he says. “When it’s lastly go-time, I watch each race of the season and write myself notes that I can refer again to.”

Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett and Steve Letarte converse to media throughout a press convention at NASCAR Championship 4 Media Day at Phoenix Raceway, 2024

Photograph by: Meg Oliphant/Getty Photographs

Diffey shortly earned his stripes within the eyes of NASCAR faithfuls after he energetically declared, “Jeff, your little boy has performed it,” when Harrison Burton took dwelling a shock victory at Daytona throughout his maiden outing within the sales space. “I don’t know if nervous is the proper phrase … I used to be anxious. I actually wished to have a great begin and make a great impression. I informed myself what I inform my children once they have a college examination: only one step at a time. I made certain I’d performed my homework as a result of I wished to do a great job for the corporate, for the followers, and for myself,” he says, describing Harrison’s win as “a type of epic moments” that he’ll keep in mind eternally.

My dialog with Diffey finally circles again to the concept of legacy. With two younger sons rising up on motorbikes, I ponder if he envisions a Diffey dynasty. “In no way,” he laughs. “Our boys are into so many sports activities, the motorbikes are only a enjoyable factor on the facet.” Actually, his sons’ races is perhaps the one motorsport occasions the place he isn’t calling the pictures. “I work most weekends so my spouse is a full moto mother. She’s unbelievable,” he says. “She’s the one loading the pickup truck with the bikes, the gas cans, the ramps and the gear.” Diffey’s position? Conserving quiet. “I get tense when my children compete,” he confesses. “After I’m at a race, I’ve to maintain my mouth shut.”