"He was told he'd never make it": NASCAR's Leigh Diffey mourns legendary Australian broadcaster John Laws

NBC Sports' lead NASCAR announcer, Leigh Diffey, has paid tribute to John Laws after his passing this Sunday. He shared his childhood memory of imitating the legendary Australian radio broadcaster.

Laws began his career on the radio in 1953. He worked at regional stations and then moved to Sydney. His voice became a national brand over more than seven decades. He also hosted television shows, recorded albums, and published poetry. The "Golden Tonsils" passed away at his Woolloomooloo home at the age of 90, on November 9, after a short hospital stay.

In a post on X, Diffey, who also has a prominent voice in motorsport coverage, shared that Laws inspired him as a child and shaped his own fascination with voice work.

"The man with the golden mic & velvet voice. Such a big inspiration to me when I was young & fascinated by radio/tv I would drive my Mum crazy by mimicking his famous line, 'Hello world' He was told he'd never make it, didn't have the right voice … I know who won! RIP Mr Laws," Leigh Diffey wrote on X.

Diffey was born in Australia, but his voice has become synonymous with high-stakes motorsport coverage in American sports. He began his career in 1995 after working as a physical education teacher.

Diffey moved to the US after joining Speed Channel in 2003 and has covered multiple racing series, including American Le Mans and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The 54-year-old has also filled in on Formula 1 broadcasts.

"Fun times, some terrific races & compelling stories" - Leigh Diffey reflects on 2025 NASCAR season

Leigh Diffey joined NBC Sports as the lead commentator for Formula 1 and IndyCar Series events in 2013. He called the Indianapolis 500 six times and also built a reputation covering major global events such as the Olympic Games and Supercross. Last season, NBC announced that Diffey would take over as the lead play-by-play commentator for the NASCAR Cup Series.

Diffey started with the primetime race at Daytona International Speedway in August last season and continued his role for the final 14 races this year. Diffey reflected on the "fabulous" run of the series after the 2025 season concluded with the Cup Series finale last Sunday and the NASCAR awards ceremony this Tuesday in Arizona. He wrote on X:

"Taken a couple of days to decompress/reflect on a fabulous 14-weekend run of @NASCAR on @nbc & @USANetwork . Fun times, some terrific races & compelling stories. Congrats to the respective champions & everyone in the garage, the tracks & tv compound - u all worked so hard - thx!!"

The Cup Series ended with Ryan Blaney winning the final race of the season, and Kyle Larson took home his second Cup title.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam