Leigh Diffey defends Shane van Gisbergen after breakthrough Kansas finish. Van Gisbergen’s performance in his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season has not come without criticism. After securing a breakthrough finish at Kansas Speedway this weekend, some fans were quick to dismiss the effort by the rookie driver, suggesting the result was more about luck than skill.Van Gisbergen crossed the line with one of his strongest oval results to date, marking a breakthrough moment that sparked both praise and skepticism. Some fans pointed to the raw data to argue his finish wasn’t earned on merit. One fan, pointing to the numbers, noted:"SVG had an avg running position of 24th and only ran 24% of his laps at Top 15 speed. His finishing position was purely circumstantial," a fan wrote via X.Leigh Diffey, who has long followed Shane van Gisbergen’s career from Supercars to NASCAR, wasn’t willing to let that narrative by the fan succeed. Taking to social media, he pushed back against the idea that luck alone defined the result.Diffey replied to the fan's statements through his social media handle."Respect your stance but give the guy some credit bro … he started a lap down," Leigh Diffey wrote via X.Gisbergen faced an uphill battle during the race in Kansas this weekend. He started from behind and fell a lap down early, and still fought his way up during the race and worked his way back on the lead lap to finish tenth at the end of the race.Leigh Diffey reveals how he deals with the negativity that he receives due to his broadcasting roleLeigh Diffey, who is the veteran voice behind many high-profile motorsport broadcasts, is no stranger to criticism. In a candid conversation following the Daytona regular-season finale, he opened up about how he handles the backlash that comes with such a public role.Diffey started by acknowledging that negativity is an unavoidable part of being in the spotlight and revealed how he deals with it."Everybody tends to get on social media and say a lot more negative things than positive things. The majority of the critics, or the negative Nellies, are simply because of the way I speak. I can't choose the way I speak, nor can any of them. We are who we are. We're all different for a reason. I met with some wonderful fans just a couple of days ago at Watkins Glen, every day I was there. You gotta take the positives and plough on," Leigh Diffey said, via Daytona Beach News-Journal.Diffey added that his job comes with constant backlash and criticism, especially in the field of sports, as opinions of the fans can be very strong and sentimental. In the end, he said that he was grateful for the position he was in, working in the media, and that he dealt with the criticism gracefully.