Diffey, Buxton, & The 2013 Broadcast Team

I didn't get to comment on it the other day, but I absolutely love the possibility of having both Will Buxton and Leigh Diffey in the TV broadcast booth for IndyCar next year.

I loved the enthusiasm of Bob Jenkins, and respect his tenure in the booth immensely. He wasn't perfect, but you could tell he loved racing. Fans want professionalism, yes, but they also want to feel as if the individuals relaying the action care as much as they do. I think both Diffey and Buxton will do well in that regard. They are also both immensely knowledgeable, and I think will do a quality job of offering keen insight to the casual and dedicated fan alike--a challenging balancing act, indeed.

Otherwise, I also hope Kevin Lee will have a decent role; he's a professional, and perhaps the hardest-working man in all sports relating to Indianapolis in any way. I see him as more of a pits/interview/overview guy, which I think is his strong suite. Jake Query is a "utility infielder" across radio, IMS, and Indy Lights, and does a good job with it.

Going deeper into the roster, Jon Beekhuis is excellent when used properly, especially with his "Professor B" segments. Robin Miller needs help if the grid run is going to continue, and if he's back, will have several wince-inducing moments (yet I still like him on there, so help me). Wally Dallenbach, Jr. doesn't seem to do much for the fans, but is generally inoffensive. I would like to see drivers with early Did Not Finish results in races pulled into the booth more; Dario Franchitti and Graham Rahal were two particular success stories of in-booth drivers last year.

For ABC, we have what we have. Let's move on.

On the radio side, I can only hope that Pippa Mann continues to be a feature, and hopefully not just for Lights race. She's knowledgeable, and helps return the discussion to the on-track action when it other "wanders". Obviously, I hope she's also racing in events such as the 500, but I think that would be an excellent move for the IMS radio team to make official. The radio broadcasts tend to go on several tangents, so bringing them back to what's happening is a valuable skill indeed.