Rick Allen worked as a play-by-play announcer for NBC between 2015 and 2024, leading coverage for countless NASCAR races and some IndyCar events as well. Before that, he worked with FOX for over a decade in various roles where he was best known for being the voice of the Truck Series.
But the highly experienced broadcaster saw his tenure at NBC end quietly last year. Allen was replaced by Leigh Diffey in the booth for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. HE was transitioned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series as its lead announcer until the end of the year. The CW now holds the broadcast rights to NASCAR's second-tier series, bringing in their own team.
Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download, Allen opened up to Earnhardt Jr. about his exit from NBC, clearing up some common misconceptions. Allen and Earnhardt were also colleagues in the NBC booth between 2018 and 2023.
How Allen found out
Allen learned that he would be sidelined in favor of Diffey just before the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony in January, 2024. Diffey was working as NBC's lead announcer for IndyCar at the time, but they were set to lose the rights to that series beginning in 2025.
"I didn't know why. I went into that lunch meeting not having a clue that I wasn't going to have my contract renewed," explained Allen. "A couple months earlier, you [Earnhardt] were in the bus with me when we were told by an executive that we were going to have long-term deals and we were going to continue. Our team was going to stay together."
But that's not what happened in the end. Earnhardt left NBC for a new gig with Amazon and Prime Video where he will work as part of their broadcast booth when they take on NASCAR for five races this summer.
"It was scary," continued Allen. "It was weird ... I was almost a zombie at the Hall of Fame -- I was the MC and they told me the day before. I was crushed."
One of the thoughts that crossed Allen's mind was about the friendships he had built in the sport and what he was going to do if he wasn't able to see them every week anymore. "Do my friends go away?" wondered Allen. "How does this affect my life? And so, that was a crushing blow on that January day."
As the news spread, Allen remained quiet, partly because executives told him not to respond publicly. He regrets that now, believing it would have been better if he cleared the air instead of letting speculation spread surrounding why he was replaced. "Public perception was that I had done something wrong," explained Allen.
Talking with Michael Jordan
He also shared a story about when he went golfing at Michael Jordan's golf course when the NBA legend and 23XI Racing co-owner approached him.
"I had never met Jordan ... I had been around him a couple times but never talked to him. The first thing that Jordan says to me when I went up to him at his golf course: 'What'd you do man?' And I was looking at him and I was kind of thinking that I don't know what he was talking about here. And he goes, 'How come you aren't announcing the races? You're NASCAR. Why aren't you announcing races anymore? What'd you do?'
That moment hit Allen like a 'ton of bricks,' realizing how many likely thought he had done something wrong to warrant his sacking from NBC. He was bothered by the fact that people didn't understand why he exited NBC, and again talked about how he would have liked to have handled it differently. It was an eye-opener look into what went on behind the scenes as Allen's time with NBC came to a quiet and unceremonious conclusion.
You can watch the entire interview HERE, which delves into several topics as Earnhardt and Allen discuss his career in the broadcast booth.
