NBC is reportedly bringing Leigh Diffey in to be a lead announcer for NASCAR Cup Series races after the Olympics according to Adam Stern. This means that Rick Allen will be out of the booth for at least a few Cup Series races later this season, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s exit from NBC means the future for NBC is very cloudy. How likely is it that Rick Allen could move over to Amazon in the near future?
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Rick Allen is in an interesting position at NBC. Leigh Diffey, who is taking over for Allen for an undetermined length of time after the Olympics, has been at NBC longer than Allen has.
Diffey joined NBC in 2013 to broadcast Formula One and IndyCar, two years before Allen joined to broadcast NASCAR. Diffey has been there longer than Allen, and NBC is about to see a potential cut to their motorsports rights with the future of IndyCar and IMSA on the network uncertain.
Think back to 2015. Diffey was busy broadcasting IndyCar and Formula One every week, so, NBC needed an extra broadcaster to handle the NASCAR races. Allen was an experienced broadcaster who was available, so, they brought him in.
As of right now, the only motorsports coverage NBC has locked down is 14 NASCAR Cup Series races. Even if they add IMSA, there are only 10 events on the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Clanedar. NBC likely only needs one lead broadcaster for those races, so, do they choose the NASCAR staple in Rick Allen or another talented broadcaster with seniority in Leigh Diffey?
The issue is deeper than just what the future of Rick Allen at NBC is. Chemistry on a broadcast is incredibly important, and it is something that can only be built with time. Allen and Earnhardt Jr. have worked together since 2018, so, what if Allen joins Earnhardt Jr. at Warner Bros. Discovery?
This recent move by NBC could mean one of two things. Either NBC wants to elevate Diffey to NASCAR if the IndyCar TV contract is not renewed, or, Allen is on his way out at NBC. It’s also possible NBC just wants to experiment, which, they like to do.
Either way, Allen jumping ship is far from an impossibility. If Earnhardt Jr. can walk, then anyone can move on to a new broadcast partner. Bringing in a lead announcer who has worked with Earnhardt Jr. in the past could be a major win for Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Will Rick Allen return to NBC in 2025? It’s going to be fun to watch how the broadcasting Silly Season plays out over the next year or so.
Joey Logano could break Richard Petty’s 47-year-old record for the most consecutive drafting-track races led this weekend at EchoPark Speedway. After leading laps in the Daytona 500, Logano has now led in 19 straight drafting-track races, dating back to 2023, tying a mark The King set from 1974 to 1979.
Logano now has a clear opportunity to move past Petty and claim sole possession of one of NASCAR’s longest-standing superspeedway records, and considering his and Team Penske’s history of dominance in this style of tracks, it seems that he is poised to break it.
Chris Gabehart has responded to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lawsuit, strongly denying the allegations and calling the claims “false,” “frivolous,” and “retaliatory” in a public statement released this Friday.
After the lawsuit became public, on Thursday, Gabehart spoke out for the first time, stating that he did not share any confidential JGR information with Spire Motorsports or any third parties and that he intends to prove that in court. He also said a third-party forensic review of his personal devices found no evidence supporting the accusations, adding that JGR declined an offer to examine Spire’s systems before filing suit.
“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming — falsely — that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties… I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”
Gabehart said he will address the matter further in a formal legal response in the coming days.
You can learn more about the lawsuit, why it started and all the context surrounding it in the article linked below
Weather could play a major role in the NASCAR weekend at EchoPark Speedway, with current forecasts calling for a 40% chance of rain Saturday afternoon and increasing to 55% in the evening. While conditions are expected to improve, contingency plans are already in place in case races cannot be completed as scheduled
NASCAR has not announced any official schedule changes yet, as decisions will be based on how conditions develop in real time. With rain chances increasing through Saturday afternoon and evening, teams are preparing for multiple outcomes, and Sunday is expected to serve as the primary backup window if events can’t be completed as planned.
Conditions are constantly being monitored, but fans should be prepared for possible schedule adjustments throughout the weekend. We’ll keep you updated throughout the race weekend here on The Daily Downforce
