Few voices in motorsports broadcasting match the energy and command of Leigh Diffey. Hailing from Australia, Diffey has made his mark in international motorsport coverage. He has called MotoGP, Formula 1 and has eventually become a fixture at NBC Sports. His signature style has graced Olympic Games, IndyCar, and IMSA. More recently, he’s been covering NASCAR events. Despite such a distinguished resume, Diffey finds himself on the receiving end of social media backlash, simply for the way he sounds. And now, that unwarranted criticism has drawn strong reactions from prominent NASCAR radio hosts.

What began as a minor murmur online turned louder following a tweet by longtime motorsports reporter John Kernan. After Diffey returned to the booth for NBC’s NASCAR coverage this season, Kernan tweeted a lukewarm remark. This was about how he “missed Rick Allen” when Diffey covered in place of him for the Iowa race. Kernan later said, “I’m sure Leigh Diffey is a great guy, but if I want to hear that accent, I’ll watch Formula 1.” Diffey’s Australian accent was, for some, a deal-breaker. A small but vocal group echoed Kernan’s sentiment, and soon enough, pockets of social media lit up. But in stark contrast to the online noise, seasoned voices on NASCAR radio were having none of it.

NASCAR hosts call out the absurd criticism towards Diffey

On a recent episode of the Fast Talk PRN podcast, NASCAR insiders Doug Rice, Kelly Crandall, and Brad Gillie dedicated time to directly address this. “I don’t understand why an accent offends so many people.” That opening volley by Gillie set the tone for the next several minutes. Rice added, “I, for the life of me, this one I don’t understand. To hammer on Lee Diffey because his accent is not the same as yours seems a little bit of a stretch.”

Brad Gillie doubled down on it: “It’s baffling. And I truly feel like this is a very small group of folks. But it’s also a very vocal group of folks.” The hosts repeatedly emphasized how minor the criticism really was, especially compared to the general reception from viewers. According to them, the online negativity had been amplified by the social media echo chamber.

This sentiment was not supported by any credible consensus. Kelly Crandall added her two cents to it, saying, “He’s such a world-class broadcaster, in my opinion… This is what social media does… It makes it seem like there is a lot more people out there who have this opinion. I don’t think that’s true.” The problem with the online world is that comments from even a few different people create the illusion of representing the entire community out there, outside the internet, as if this is what everyone’s talking about right now, which is hardly the case.

Throughout the conversation, the hosts made it clear that the majority of the NASCAR community probably viewed Diffey’s return as a positive development. “We love Lee Diffey, and we love hearing him call races, and I, for one, am very excited to have him back,” Crandall concluded. Their sentiment suggests that this incident is less about the man and more about a broader cultural discomfort with change.

Looking ahead, Diffey is slated to call major playoff races, including the Southern 500 at Darlington and the elimination round at Martinsville. NBC has shown no signs of reducing his presence, reinforcing its belief in his talent, professionalism, and versatility. In the end, the controversy around Leigh Diffey’s accent says far more about the audience than the announcer. While some cling to comfort and familiarity, others champion expertise and class regardless of origin.

Diffey delivers on NBC’s return to the booth at Iowa

After FOX wrapped up its half of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series broadcast calendar, NBC officially took over at Iowa Speedway. This marked their first broadcast of the season. The transition was highly anticipated, especially since this was the inaugural Cup race at Iowa. The pressure was doubled to prove NBC could elevate the moment after FOX’s often-criticized coverage. At the center of NBC’s booth was Leigh Diffey, returning to NASCAR coverage alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte.

While most praised the energy and polish of NBC’s crew, some voices on social media zeroed in on Diffey’s accent once again. However, the consensus tilted toward appreciation, particularly for the way Diffey handled everything. He shone during the restart-heavy, unpredictable nature of Iowa’s layout. NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck even called the broadcast “sharp and professional”.

The booth dynamic was especially strong during green-flag runs. Leigh Diffey brought his signature urgency. Meanwhile, Dale Jr. provided insight into the track’s short-run tendencies. Steve Letarte seamlessly handled strategy calls. Together, the team kept viewers engaged with a smooth balance of excitement and expertise. Compared to FOX’s earlier broadcasts, NBC’s return felt like a return to form.

With NBC now locked in for the second half of the season, including the playoffs, Iowa was a crucial tone-setter. And one they largely nailed. For all the discourse about accents and new faces, the overriding takeaway from Iowa was that NBC made the race feel bigger, more dramatic, and more precise. And at the heart of that revival was a veteran voice in Diffey.