Nov 5, 2023; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) leads driver Ryan Blaney (12) and a group during the Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Allow space for Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Another seven-time champion is here! Jimmie Johnson captures his seventh Cup title.Additionally, if you recall that momentous Homestead Miami in 2016, the call behind the mic was the only thing that could compare to Johnson’s victory.
Furthermore, it is scarcely necessary to introduce the man behind the microphone. However, NBC abruptly fired Rick Allen from their Cup Series broadcast crew in the middle of the 2024 season, which was an odd decision. Now, we’re not whining about Leigh Diffey. He is unquestionably a good substitute. Allen is still missed, though. Fans are also giving out their own ideas because there isn’t a clear place for him in any of the broadcast booths.
The odd situation of Rick Allen
As the regular season came to an end, NBC made the strange decision. This was the second race following the Olympic break, and it’s unclear what went wrong at NBC headquarters at that time. Diffey, however, was in Allen’s place with the Coke Zero Sugar 400. And Diffey congratulated Jeff Burton, saying, “Jeff, your little boy has done it!” as Harrison Burton valiantly defended against a desperate Kyle Busch. It was so well received by fans that Rick Allen’s absence was barely noticeable. But let’s not forget that he has been calling races for the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series for ten years. Before CW took control, Allen attended the Xfinity Series after leaving the Cup Series the broadcast from the Bristol race till the end.
With CW now set to air the full 2025 Xfinity season, featuring Jamie McMurray and Parker Kligerman as analysts and Adam Alexander as play-by-play, it seems like Allen’s broadcasting career might be coming to a close.
However, we can presume that’s the case. The NBC booth is completely empty. It’s improbable that Diffey would be replaced. One theory is that NBC made this potentially dangerous adjustment in the middle of the season to stop Diffey from traveling to Fox in 2025 to call IndyCar events. Thus, he is not leaving. Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte are also not. Unless Allen leaves NBC and joins another network, he won’t have many options. And fans demand precisely that. They want him to return to his origins in broadcasting.
Fans want Rick Allen to return to the Truck Series After he began his broadcasting career as a public address announcer at the University of Nebraska and Eagle Raceway in 2003, he spent 11 years calling the Truck Series races for Fox. One fan wrote, “I think he should go back to Fox and do Trucks again.” Currently, Jamie Little, Phil Parsons, and Michael Waltrip call the majority of the Truck Series races. One fan wrote, “Couldn’t make that program worse. Rick Allen definitely had a great voice for the Truck Series.” We agree! Seeing Allen back in that lineup would be a huge improvement, especially considering how new Jamie Little is to broadcasting.
Allen first broke into broadcasting as a public address announcer at the University of Nebraska and Eagle Raceway.
He then called the Truck Series races for Fox for 11 years starting in 2003. Fans now want him to return. One admirer responded, “I think he should go back to Fox and do Trucks again.” The majority of the Truck Series events are currently called by Michael Waltrip, Phil Parsons, and Jamie Little. “Couldn’t make that program worse,” one enthusiast wrote. Rick Allen’s voice was excellent for the Truck Series. And we concur! Given how inexperienced Jamie Little is to broadcasting, having Allen back in that lineup would be a significant improvement. One fan now has an alternative theory: “I could see him taking a year or two off and then replacing Mike Joy when he retires.” We adore Allen, but let’s be real—Mike Joy is a legend. Nobody wants him to step away anytime soon. Well, not all Some don’t mind calling joy quits.
What do you think, then? Should Rick Allen make a comeback in the Cup Series or the Truck Series? Or maybe there’s an entirely different area that fits him better? Please share your opinions in the comments section!
