Grip Strip Podcast

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 231 - After Further Review

With the Olympics playing a part, Phil and Josh only have one major race to discuss but it was definitely an interesting Belgian Grand Prix for Formula 1 on E231 of the GSP. Sir Lewis Hamilton was declared the winner after teammate Woody Russell's car came up 1.5kgs light. Oscar Piastri followed up his first win with a third place finish while catching the Mercedes duo.
Fish Lips took his annual engine penalties and started 11th after taking pole.  However, his move through the field wasn't as easy as many thought it would be (including us). FL finished 5th but didn't lose many points to title rival Lando Norris. Pit strategies played their part with Lewis going for two while Russell went for one.  Major silly season news items regarding Carlos Sainz's move to Williams and Sergio Perez somehow still having a job were topics to cover. 
Phil and Josh started their 2024 NFL Season discussion with updates on their favorite teams, with more coverage and discussions as the guys get ready for Fantasy Football and more. The GSP Roundup covered F2/F3, NHRA with Anthony Wayne Stewart making a final while Jack Beckman is the replacement for John Force for the remainder of 2024, MotoGP/Moto2, WRC, IMSA and WEC. Josh lets us know what's going on in iRacing and gaming in the Sim Segment before the socials are mentioned. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 230 - Avoidable Contact

Phil and Josh have plenty to talk about on E230 of the GSP after the NASCAR tripleheader at Indy, IndyCar at Toronto and Formula 1 in Hungary. Larson jumps the last restart and through a technicality wins his first Brickyard 400.
Phil goes after William Byron after he called Chase Briscoe a squirrel while fellow young guns John Hunter Nemechek and Carson Hocevar caused massive incidents of their own. Fuel mileage was the name of the game with YRB in position to win and sweep the season for Penske in the big races while former teammate Brad Keselowski tried to harken back to the old days with his fuel saving. 
Riley Herbst drifted through Turn 4 on the final lap of the XFinity race to win for the second time in his career. Stewart-Haas had the best race cars at the track in the precursor to the Brickyard 400. Ty Majeski gets his first win of 2024 in the Truck Series and repeats at IRP while Corey Heim throws a *&^%$ fit at championship rival Christian Eckes.
IndyCar saw Colton Herta destroy the field throughout the entire weekend at Toronto. Andretti Global took a 1-2 finish while Alex Palou started deep in the field and still finished fourth. A massive turn one wreck with ARCA brakes action destroyed multiple cars including the McLaren of Pato O'Ward and Root Beer Float Head.
Speaking of McLaren, Oscar Piastri became a first-time winner in Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix after plenty of assistance from the pit wall to convince teammate Lando Norris to move over after McLaren screwed up the strategy. Fish Lips was definitely in a mood after completing a sim race earlier that morning and lost out on the final podium place to Sir Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari wasn't as fast as the top three teams but salvaged their day along with poor qualifying efforts by Perez and Russell ending up with points.  
The Roundup covers F2/F3, NHRA, WSBK, Supercars, WRC and Formula E before the guys preview the Belgian Grand Prix for Formula 1 and make their picks. Josh lets us know his exploits on iRacing and gaming in the Sim Segment before calling it a night. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 229 - Tricky Enough?

Eight years after his first win at The Tricky Triangle in Cup, Ryan Blaney held off arguably the best driver ever at the track in Dennis Hamlin to win for the second time there in front of his fiance's family.  Phil and Josh get into everything that went on at Pocono, the other key players and the points heading to the Brickyard 400. 
Cole Custer has been close all year, but finally came through with his first XFinity win of the season and solidified his points lead in the process.  On the heels of likely being called back to Cup, Custer battled with Justin Allgaier and Byron to get the victory. Corey Heim held off Christian Eckes to win his fifth Truck race of 2024, continuing the trend between the two best drivers and teams in the series.  The guys look at the races and recap the points heading to Indy.
A goofy repave, extreme heat and super hard tires made the IndyCar doubleheader at Iowa a procession.  Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin and William Power took the wins while Iowa dominator Josef Newgarden had a rare mis-step at one of his best tracks.  Alex Palou crashed in race one but recovered in race two to maintain his points lead heading to Toronto. For the GSP Roundup, Phil looks at WEC, IMSA, WSBK, Extreme E, F2/F3, Supercars, WRC, NHRA, and Formula E's season finale.  
Previews and Picks are next with the Hungarian Grand Prix for F1, IndyCars at Toronto and the NASCAR tripleheader at Indy culminating with the 30th anniversary edition of the Brickyard 400.  Josh lets us know all things going on in iRacing with his Sim Segment prior to saying see ya later!

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 228 - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

For the first time in 2.5 years, Sir Lewis Hamilton got on the top step of the podium with his 104th victory and record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix win.  Phil was a complete disaster post race but was able to keep it together with Josh to talk about all the happenings at Silverstone.  McLaren made multiple strategy errors that left Lando Norris in third behind his BFF Verstappen and Red Bull, even though they were the third best car. The guys get into all of the key calls, other battles and the points heading to Hungary.
Pato O'Ward took his first win on track in two years after a spirited battle with defending series champion Alex Palou to win the Honda Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio.  In the debut of the hybrids, the race ran green from start to finish and only one person DNF'ed.  That person was six-time Mid-Ohio winner and series champion Scott Dixon, who lost plenty of ground to Palou with the hybrid issues he and the No. 9 team faced.  Scotty Mac and the Thirsty Three's finished in third but plenty of silly season stuff happening along with a points recap heading to Iowa. 
NASCAR made their second trip to the Streets of Chicago, with the Cup Series racing in the rain for the second consecutive year.  Shane Van Gisbergen was the overwhelming favorite going in and definitely had a car to repeat.  However, horrible conditions and Chase Briscoe having no brakes sent SVG into the fence and out of the race. Plenty of argy bargy went on including eventual winner Alex Bowman cleaning out Darrell Wallace, Jr.
Bubba showed his displeasure after the race and paid the price on a day that Toyota seemed to have the handle, with teammate Tyler Reddick possibly throwing away victory with a mistake on the last lap. The guys get into the horrendous management of the race itself along with starting it so late that it put the race into torrential rain. Teams finally were able to choose what tires to run and NASCAR actually made it a timed race after long delays.  Points are reviewed with another new winner heading to Pocono.  
SVG held off Kyle Larson to win his third consecutive XFinity road course race, which was the first dry race on the streets of Chicago. The battle between Van Gisbergen, Larson and Keebler Gibbs was the main storyline in a race that definitely featured a lot of carnage. Phil and Josh review the points heading to Pocono. 
A busy GSP Roundup covers F2/F3, MotoGP/Moto2, Indy NXT, WEC, IMSA, WSBK and Extreme E before the guys come back to preview the Iowa IndyCar doubleheader and make their picks. They also make their picks for the Pocono NASCAR tripleheader before Josh's Sim Segment and calling it a day. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 227 - Mirror Driving

An action packed weekend leads nicely into the GSP, with Phil and Josh talking about all the major stories of the weekend. Joey Logano did his best Scott Dixon impression while fading five GWC's and 30 extra laps to win the Cup race at Nashville and lock himself into the playoffs.  Logano blocked Chase Briscoe into the gray and left Tyler Reddick looking like Kurt Angle in his TNA Wrestling days.
Tire fall off was minimal but rubber laid down on the track, with the rain delay making the race worthwhile. Briscoe was officially introduced as the driver of the Bass Pro Shops Toyota in the Cup Series earlier in the week.  On the XFinity side, John Hunter Nemechek led a JGR 1-2 finish with Keebler Gibbs and Cole Custer being the other standouts on a boiling hot day. Christian Eckes led every lap of the Truck Series race to build his case as the top contender over Corey Heim for the Truck Series title. 
Formula 1 brought out an old story but with a different opponent at Austria.  Fish Lips proved once again that he cannot race wheel-to-wheel with someone who may be as fast or faster after moving more than Floyd Mayweather on his "friend" Lando Norris and knocking both of them out of contention.  Phil lets loose on FL since he and his team won't take any accountability.  He still finished fifth and got the fastest lap while Lando and McLaren chose to retire the car.  The drivers who picked up the scraps were Woody Russell for his second career win, Oscar Piastri who probably will wonder if his lap hadn't been deleted in qualifying along with Carlos Sainz the driver for Ferrari. 
The GSP Roundup covers F2, F3, MotoGP, Moto2, NHRA and an update on John Force, Formula E and Robert Wickens getting behind the wheel of an open-wheel car for the first time since his accident at Pocono, WRC Rally Poland and sadness in the leadup, Supercars and Indy NXT before the guys come back to preview and make picks for the F1 British Grand Prix.  IndyCar comes back to start the hybrid era at Mid-Ohio and the insanity that is NASCAR on a street course returns in Chicago for Cup & XFinity.  Josh lets us know all things going on iRacing in his Sim Segment prior to the promotions.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 226 - Let It Slip

After a busy weekend of motorsports, Phil and Josh are ready to tell you all about it on E226 of the GSP.  Hello Palou won from pole at Laguna Seca but didn't have it easy. Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren had their entire teams represented in the top 12, including the debuting Nolan Siegel in the No.6. Will Power struggled but salvaged a 7th place finish for points.  Plenty of stuff including the introduction of hybrids and Faux taking over TV coverage are just some of the additional storylines heading into an off weekend.  
On the NASCAR side, Christopher Bell dominated at New Hampshire and also spilled the beans on Chase Briscoe being the replacement for the retiring Martin Truex, Jr. at the No.19 car in the Cup series.  Bell was fast in the dry and the wet, but his future teammate Briscoe and current teammate Josh Berry used the rain to get podium finishes on a day where Briscoe was about to go a lap down in the first segment.  Bell passed teammate Sheldon Creed on the last lap to win the XFinity race and go 4/4 at The Magic Mile in the series.  Creed joins Dale Jarrett and Daniel Hemric for the most runner-ups prior to a first win in series history. 
Fish Lips continues his reign on F1 with a win at the spot of his first victory in Catalunya. Woody Russell beat FL and his buddy and polesitter Lando Norris off the line to lead, but the other two passed and went off in the distance. Sir Lewis Hamilton earned his first podium since Mexico last fall. Tire choices and pit stops played a key role in the result at a track that is brutal for overtaking.
The GSP Roundup covers IMSA, Indy NXT, F2, F3, F1 Academy, NHRA, MotoGP, Moto2, WRC and Formula E before Phil and Josh preview the Austrian Grand Prix for F1 and the NASCAR tripleheader at Nashville. Josh lets us know about his karting exploits in the Sim/Karting segment prior to promotions.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 225 - Family First

Coming off Father's Day weekend, Phil and Josh have their thoughts on Ryan Blaney's first win of 2024 in the Cup Series debut at Iowa Speedway and much more.  The guys discuss the race and how the usual suspects had their issues along with tires playing a big part in a solid race.  Blaney became a winner in all three series at Iowa Speedway in front of over 150 friends and family. 
In terms of family and home tracks, nobody has more than Martin Truex, Jr. who announced his full-time retirement from Cup racing after this season.  Phil and Josh talk about what MTJ has meant to the sport and his rise to champion driver after a slow start to his career.  They also go over who is in play for that car.  On the XFinity side, Sam Mayer takes another victory at the expense of Riley Herbst.
Phil gets some golf talk into the show with Rory McIlroy's collapse at the US Open and Bryson DeChambeau following in the footsteps of fellow SMU alum Payne Stewart as a US Open champion at Pinehurst No. 2 and continues his Captain America arc. The GSP Roundup recaps the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Supercars at Darwin, WSBK at Misano and previews the Six Hours at The Glen for IMSA, Indy NXT at Laguna Seca for a doubleheader, F2/F3/F1 Academy at Barcelona and the NHRA Virginia Nationals. 
Phil and Josh come back together to preview the Spanish Grand Prix and make their picks for who may finish behind Fish Lips.  IndyCar goes to Laguna Seca and the guys make their picks for that event along with Cup & XFinity at New Hampshire.  Josh lets us know all things going on in iRacing in the Sim Segment before the close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 224 - Wet & Wild

Phil and Josh are back to discuss a busy weekend in motorsports on the GSP. William Power led a Penske sweep of the podium at Road America.  Strategy played a big part in the results of the day along with a major wreck at the start of the race, taking out polesitter Linus Lundqvist and Colton Herta. In off-track news, Augustin Canapino's fanbase continues to show the worst in social media.  In turn, he gets benched for Nolan Siegel and that could possibly mean more than just one race. The guys look at all of this and the points heading to Laguna Seca.
NASCAR Cup and XFinity raced at Snoreoma for Faux's last race of 2024. Kyle Larson was the dominant presence and earned another road course victory with better tires at the end.  Martin Truex, Jr. is left wondering when that win will come but earned solid points. Some destruction took place because they brought stage breaks back, but the final stage was pretty tame.
For all of the XFinity teams, Shane Van Gisbergen is definitely making things difficult on road courses with his supreme talent.  His restart move on Bobby Hill allowed the Kiwi to win two consecutive races and solidify his spot in the XFinity playoffs.  However, the post race celebration may have been one of the greatest things ever.  
Fish Lips won the Canadian Grand Prix but it wasn't a straightforward event with the emergence of Lando Norris continuing to cause the one car trouble. Woody Russell rounded out the podium after starting on pole.  Sir Lewis Hamilton's last year in silver and black continues to confound many with all of the issues he's facing on his side of the garage.  His future employer definitely had a weekend to forget.
The GSP Roundup covers Indy NXT, NHRA, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, V8 Supercars and WSBK before Phil and Josh preview the NBC opener at Iowa Speedway.  They provide their thoughts of no Junebug on the broadcasts but the fact that NBC actually tries.  Also, they discuss the paving of two grooves in the turns and if that will cause one-groove racing.  Both make their picks for the Cup and XFinity races before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.  

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 223 - Carnage, Chaos, and Clusters

Phil and Josh return for E223 of the GSP to discuss all the craziness at Detroit, Gateway and elsewhere in the world of motorsports.  In Detroit, Honda powered IndyCar's seemed to dominate in Chevy's house with the podium swept by the Ohio/California gang.  Scott Dixon put on another fuel saving doctoral dissertation but had heat from fellow Kiwi and teammate Marcus Armstrong and former teammate Marcus Ericsson at the end. 
Issues throughout the field and eight cautions in the first 73 laps marred what basically became a survival test. Augustin Canapino and the Argentinian fanbase are out of order after threatening Theo Pourchaire.  When the drivers are wishing and hoping to go back to Belle Isle, the track is bad.  
NASCAR Cup and Trucks were at Gateway while the XFinity drivers were at Portland for road course action.  Austin Cindric was the beneficiary of issues for both Christopher Bell and teammate Ryan Blaney, taking his first win since winning the 2022 Daytona 500.  This was not a great day for the points contenders in general, but there's still plenty of races left. 
Stewart-Haas Racing will cease to exist at the end of 2024, after Tony and Gene made that announcement to the team after the 600.  Phil and Josh give their thoughts at the end of this organization along with where some of the key people will go.  With Snoreoma upcoming, that will be Faux last telecast of 2024.  Other than Harvick and Mike Joy, is there anything redeeming? 
Shane Van Gisbergen became a NASCAR XFinity winner at Portland, passing dominant presence Justin Allgaier late in the race.  All three Kaulig cars finished in the top 10, and SVG locks himself into the playoffs.  Another person who is locked into the playoffs is Corey Heim after a fourth win of the Truck Series regular season.  Outside of Heim, Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes and Nick Sanchez stand as the only drivers that might have a chance at Phoenix. 
The GSP Roundup will recap IMSA at Detroit, NHRA at Epping, MotoGP/Moto2 at Mugello along with major rider news and WRC Rally Italy before previewing Indy NXT at Road America.  Phil and Josh make their picks and discuss the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Cup and XFinity at Snoreoma and IndyCar at Road America.  Josh lets us know his exploits in iRacing on his Sim Segment prior to show close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 222 - The Greatest Day In Motorsports V

One of the traditions that take place yearly is The Greatest Day In Motorsports, which is a national holiday for us at the GSP! Phil and Josh recap Josef Newgarden making a last lap pass on Pato O'Ward to win his second consecutive Indianapolis 500. 
Newgarden becomes the first repeat winner since Helio Castro-Neves in 2001-02 while Chevy dominated the oval portion of the month at Indy with Penske, McLaren and others like Conor Daly, SRR, RBFH, etc. Kyle Larson stayed to race Indy even with a rain delay and finished 18th, but he ran way better than that for the majority of the race.  Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood picked up the pieces for Honda after a brutal couple of weeks as the IndyCar teams head off to the streets of Detroit.
While Larson was racing at Indy, the Coca-Cola 600 started at Charlotte and raced through halfway and nearly three stages before Yung Money flew back and arrived at the track.  In the end, NASCAR waited a few hours to call the race and declare Christopher Bell the winner in what ended up as the Coca-Cola 373.5.  Social media and fans were angry after numerous clips and pictures showed a drying or dry track, the delay in calling the race and the disappointment in not seeing Larson get into a fast car that Justin Allgaier had driven to 13th. 
On the XFinity side, William Clyde Elliott II took the win for Hendrick and the 17 car in what was a Cup benefit like the old days.  Allgaier won both stages for a second consecutive race, but got wrecked on a restart in the third stage.  JRM still faired pretty well in spite of Allgaier's misfortune. Nick Sanchez used track position and good timing to hold off a hard charging Corey Heim for his second win of the 2024 Truck Series season.  Heim would later be disqualified for three loose lugnuts, after dominating the majority of the race.  
Formula 1 held their annual procession at Monaco, with Charl Eclair becoming the first driver from Monaco to win in the 93-year history of the event.  Josh watched the regular broadcast while Phil enjoyed the kids broadcast.  Fish Lips actually struggled and finished sixth.  All of the top-10 in the starting order finished exactly where they started. The only major issue was a crash involving Sergio Perez and the two Haas cars.
The GSP Roundup looks at F2/F3 at Monaco, MotoGP/Moto2, Formula E, NHRA, IMSA and Indy NXT before Josh and Phil come back to preview and make picks for Cup/Trucks at Gateway along with XFinity at Portland.  They also preview and make picks for the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix.  Josh provides plenty of insight into his trevails during the iRacing Coke 600 along with Indy 500 prep in his Sim Segment prior to Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 221 - Penske Perfect*

Phil and Josh look back at a weekend that went the way of The Captain in multiple places.  At Indy, Scotty McLaughlin set the four-lap track record for qualifying to earn his first Indy 500 pole.  For the second time, Penske swept the front row - even with Alexander Rossi attempting to spoil the party. 
On the flip side, Grahayame Raehaul almost went home for a second consecutive year while Marcus Ericsson made the last row shootout somewhat interesting with his multiple mishaps but the format needs to be adjusted. The guys go over all of this plus Kyle Larson's chances from the 5th starting position.  With only three cars in the Top 12, does Honda have the power to battle Chevy?  Scott Dixon is chasing an elusive second Indy 500 win, but has his worst starting position (21st) of his illustrious career.  
At North Wilkesboro, Joey Logano dominated from pole for his second All-Star Race win.  However, the story was Oh, Richard nailing Kyle Busch with a right cross after KyBu turned Stenhouse into the wall two laps into the main event.  Keebler Gibbs, DWJ and Gagson advanced through the Open race. Phil and Josh go over the race itself with the addition of the option tire, the post-race shenanigans and what to take from the event as they move to the Coca-Cola 600. 
The Truck Series race was delayed due to apocalyptic rains that flooded the track, but Corey Heim ended up in his usual spot up front for his third win of 2024.  Brendan "Butterbean" Queen along with former CARS Tour driver Layne Riggs were the standouts behind Heim, while Tyler Ankrum and Ty Majeski won the stages.  The guys go over all of this and the points heading to Charlotte.
Formula 1 was the usual winner, but Fish Lips didn't have it as easy as he usually does.  Lando Norris got to his buddy and made FL earn the win at Imola, while Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari a home podium. Oscar Piastri arguably had the fastest car behind FL, but held Kevin Magnussen up in qualifying and copped a five-place grid penalty.  Having to come up through traffic at a circuit which is virtually impossible to pass on relegated the McLaren driver.  Sir Lewis Hamilton finished sixth but the same issues arise for Mercedes in qualifying and pit stops while Carlos Sainz continues to get the short end as he battles Leclerc at Ferrari. 
For the GSP Roundup, Phil goes over F2/F3 at Imola, Supercars Perth Supersprint, NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, MotoGP/Moto2 in Catalunya, and Formula E's doubleheader in Shanghai before the previews.  Phil and Josh preview and make their picks for Monaco, Charlotte and Indy before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 220 - Month of May Buildup

Phil and Josh are getting ready for The Greatest Day In Motorsports on E220 of the GSP.  The IMS Road Course started the Month of May and Alex Palou earned the victory, with Will Power and Christian Lundgaard rounding out the podium.  The guys go over a typical IMS road course IndyCar race and update the points leading into the Indianapolis 500.  
The Throwback Weekend at Darlington saw Brad Keselowski return to victory lane for the first time since 2021, his first win as an owner/driver, and so many other firsts during the Badyear 400.  Tyler Reddick yeeted Christopher Buescher and cost them both a chance at victory. The Fords have actually started to show fight after a brutal beginning of the 2024 season.  
Justin Allgaier went out at a difficult racetrack and dominated for his second win of 2024 in the XFinity Series while Ross Chastain practiced his Gallagher routine winning for Niece in the Truck Series.  In other NASCAR News, the Cup Series will have an in-season tournament next year as part of the TNT/Amazon package.  The idea originated by Dennis Hamlin will exist starting with the Coca-Cola 600, which Dale, Jr. will be calling.  What do the guys think about this addition?
For the GSP Roundup, Phil covers IMSA, WEC, MotoGP/Moto2, Formula E, WRC, Indy NXT, V8 Supercars and F2/F3 before previewing the San Marino Grand Prix for Formula 1.  Can Lando Norris make it two in a row or will Fish Lips go back to domination? Phil and Josh make their picks for the pole, front row and who will go home from Indy 500 qualifying before previewing the newly paved North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Cup All Star Race and Truck Series.  The guys make their picks for winners, advancers, wild cards, etc. before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 219 - Papaya Crush

Phil and Josh return for E219 of the GSP to discuss two outstanding results: the photo finish at Kansas in Cup and Lando Norris winning his first F1 race at Miami.  On the NASCAR side, Larson and Buescher door slam each other to the line with Yung Money taking the victory.  Somehow, Kansas has become one of the better racetracks on the circuit.  For the Trucks, Corey Heim continues to show why Toyota has so much invested in him with his second win of 2024.  
Norris held off his buddy Fish Lips and Charl Eclair for his maiden F1 win after a timely VSC and solid pace gave the McLaren track position.  Norris held FL off on a restart and never looked back while Ferrari messed themselves up and Lewis Hamilton battled for a sixth place finish.  Logan Sargeant got yeeted by Kevin Magnussen, who was on a mission to hit everything on or at the Miami Dolphins parking lot. 
The GSP Roundup covers F1 Academy, Smoke winning in a Top Alcohol Dragster and almost winning a hooligan race at IRP, MotoGP/Moto2, IMSA, WEC, Formula E, WRC and Indy NXT before the guys get back and preview the IMS Road Course race for IndyCar and make their picks.  Phil and Josh attempt to go through the throwbacks that were actually shown (not many at all) for the Darlington tripleheader while previewing and making picks for each race prior to Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 218 - Pushing To Block

After another great weekend of motorsports and the NFL Draft, Phil and Josh return for E218 of the GSP.  The Penske cheating scandal didn't affect Scotty McLaughlin and the Thirsty 3's, since he won Pole and became a two-time winner at Barber. 
Josef Newgarden definitely took a lot of hits with his press conference and Tim Cindric's lame excuse too regarding the cheating scandal.  In lighter news, Georgina the mannequin dropped off the bridge and got run over by debutant Luca Ghiotto in the process.  The guys go over all of this along with the firing of David Malukas at Arrow McLaren after never racing for the team.  
NASCAR raced at Dover for their only time of 2024 with the rivalry of Hamlin and Larson coming through.  Larson had the faster car, but Dennis played the aero blocking game and held the Hendrick driver off.  The Joe Gibbs Racing weekend started with Ryan Truex winning his second straight XFinity race at The Monster Mile after a great battle with Carson Kvapil.  
Phil and Josh review their teams NFL Draft hauls along with other key players picked who could make an immediate impact in the league.  For the GSP Roundup, Phil looks at NHRA, MotoGP/Moto2, Formula E, Indy NXT, AMA Supercross and F1 Academy.  The guys get back to preview the F1 Grand Prix of Miami and NASCAR Cup and Trucks at Kansas prior to Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 217 - Air Beau & GOAT Mode

After a wild weekend of motorsports, Phil and Josh are back to cover it all on E217 of the GSP.  Tyler Reddick was wishing he could get a ride on team owner Michael Jordan's shoulders after sneaking through on the outside for that victory.  Reddick's son Beau spent quality time with Uncle MJ while his Dad navigated the carnage caused by Michael McDowell making a bad block on Brad Keselowski.  In the process, Ford continues to be winless in 2024.  Is this a time for concern and when will Ford actually win again?
Jesse Love has been on the cusp of victory lane all season in the XFinity Series but he finally closed the deal with his first win at Talladega.  The assist went to all of the midfielders working for themselves at the end while Love had to battle with fuel mileage and not having a teammate to help after Hank Hill and Kligerman wrecked late in the race.  JRM's sketchy plate race tactics never came to the fore after they watched multiple cars get destroyed.  
At Long Beach, Scott Dixon once again showed why he is a GOAT.  On an epic fuel save mission, the six-time champion held off Josef Newgarden for his second win on the streets.  The drivers (including Newgarden) who went with the prime strategy were left to wonder and JNew wanted Colton herta to get a penalty for aggressive driving.  The starts/restarts at Long Beach have always been a problem and this weekend didn't quell any concerns.  
Fish Lips won everything at Gyna, but the greater storylines were home country hero Zhou and Sir Lewis Hamilton, scoring a second in the sprint and scored points in the race after an abominable qualifying.  Toto continues to talk out of his behind regarding the LH situation while Norris lays down for his buddy Fish Lips.  
The GSP Roundup is busy this week with IMSA, WEC, Supercars, WSBK, WRC, NHRA, MotoGP/Moto2, Formula E and Indy NXT before Phil and Josh return to preview and make picks for IndyCar at Barber.  NASCAR Cup and XFinity come to the Northeast for their sole visit to Dover, so the guys make their predictions for the weekend accordingly.  Josh lets us know all things going on in the world of iRacing and gaming in his Sim Segment prior to show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 216 - A Day For Clyde, Scottie and More

After another majestic week at Augusta National, Phil and Josh return for another edition of the GSP.  Scottie Scheffler solidified his place as the No.1 player in golf with a second Masters victory.  Ludvig Aberg showed the world he is another young hotshot, with the potential for future greatness.  Aberg finishes second in his major championship debut while other major players struggled.
In the world of NASCAR, William Clyde Elliott ends his second longest winless streak of his career and gets Hooters their first victory since the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992 at Texas.  Teammate William Byron got the assist after cleaning Ross Chastain out on the final lap.  Plenty of wrecks, a lack of passing and virtually no tire fall off were other key storylines heading into Talladega.  
The XFinity Series had the best product per usual, with the added bonus of a photo finish.  Sam Mayer's brutal start to 2024 came around after holding Ryan Seig off at the line for his first win of 2024.  Teammate Justin Allgaier continues to show pace and dominate races, but cannot close.  Kyle Busch wins his second Truck race of 2024, holding off former protege Corey Heim to earn the victory. 
This week's GSP Roundup looks at MotoGP/Moto2 at CoTA, Formula E in Misano, Supercars in New Zealand, WRC Rally Croatia, IMSA at Long Beach, WEC in Imola, WSBK in Assen and NHRA Four Wide in Vegas.  Phil and Josh return to preview the first Formula 1 race in Gyna since 2019.  The guys look at who will finish behind Fish Lips and other key stories heading to Shanghai. 
IndyCar races a major with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and the crew gives their prognostications for the winner and podium.  NASCAR leaves the Texas dump to race at another demo derby called Talladega.  The Tate Fogleman Algorithm joins Phil and Josh to make picks and bold predictions before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 215 - A Tradition Unlike Any Other...The GSP!

On the week of The Masters tournament, Phil and Josh celebrate another tradition with E215 of the GSP.  One tradition that has taken place for the last 40 years is Hendrick Motorsports winning.  That continued with a first at Martinsville: their first 1-2-3 finish in team history, after white bread William Byron took his third win of 2024.  While it was a great day for HMS, the Cup short track package might be even worse than ever before.  The guys cover all the key players, stories and points heading to the Texas dump.
Another person who loves Martinsville is Aric Almirola and he showed that with help from teammate Sheldon Creed's argy bargy in the XFinity Series.  Christian Eckes took his second win of 2024 after he and points leader Ty Majeski dominated the Truck Series race.  Phil and Josh cover both events and give a points update.  Formula 1 continues to be the same garbage, even if Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix to setup a restart.  
The GSP Roundup recaps the NHRA Arizona Nationals, previews MotoGP/Moto2 at CoTA for the Grand Prix of the Americas, Formula E in Misano and defending Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki returning to Erebus Motorsports and losing his main backer Peter Adderton in the process.  Phil and Josh preview The Masters tournament and discuss what to expect from Eldrick.  NASCAR's top three series race at the Texas dump, so Phil and Josh preview and make picks for each race.  Josh lets us know all things going on in iRacing in his Sim Segment prior to the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 214 - Jumpman

Phil and Josh return after the Easter weekend for E214 of the GSP, with the main discussion point being Dennis Hamlin absolutely jumping the final restart and winning at Richmond.  The Cup Series debuted rain tires so they could start the race but NASCAR dictated when they could use them and when to remove them.  Once that was completed, two drivers essentially had their way - Kyle Larson and Martin Truex, Jr. 
However, two cautions played a role in the final result: the drive out of the groove for Kyle Busch during a cycle of pit stops, and the caution with two to go between Larson and Darrell Wallace, Jr. which set up the GWC for Hamlin to pounce after his team provided a great pit stop.  The guys go over all of this and the continued issues with the short track package, while covering MTJ's list of people he was angry at. 
On the XFinity side, Chandler Smith is really good at Richmond.  He won over teammate Aric Almirola (who won both stages) in a Gibbs benefit, which the guys said would happen.  The bigger stories were the debut of Late Model standout Bubba Pollard for JRM and the wreck between Joey Gase and former GSP guest Dawson Cram.  Cram finished Gase off into Turn 1, and the car owner decided to rip his bumper cover off and attempt to throw it in the window of the JD Motorsports driver's car.  Both have made merch off the incident but it was an expensive day for Gase.
The GSP Roundup covers WRC and Formula E, while Liberty Media acquires Dorna Sport (the group that runs MotoGP and WSBK) and an NHRA Arizona Nationals preview with my respect and credit to Matt Hagan being discussed.  Phil and Josh return to preview Fish Lips getting back to the top step at the Japanese Grand Prix and who will finish behind him before previewing and making picks for all three major NASCAR series at Martinsville.  Josh lets us know all things going on in iRacing and gaming in his Sim Segment prior to the Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 213 - Smooth Operating

Phil and Josh return for E213 of the GSP to actually talk about Formula 1, since the Smooth Operator Carlos Sainz returned from an appendectomy and won the Australian Grand Prix.  Sainz had overtaken Fish Lips on the track but the Red Fool leader fell out with brake failure.  The guys talk about his first DNF in two years, Sainz getting a dominant win with a Ferrari 1-2, McLaren being with them, Mercedes being terrible, Daniel Ricciardo looking at the exit door and Logan Sargeant holding Alex Albon's manpurse.  
A generally uncompelling weekend at the Thermal Club saw a usual result, with defending series champion Alex Palou win pole and dominate the main event to win his Chip Ganassi team $500,000.  The other standout was former 10 car driver Felix Rosenqvist, who's new home at Meyer-Shank suits him well.  Phil and Josh look at the race, what can be changed and who made/missed the show. 
Circuit of the Americas hosted NASCAR and saw William Byron become the first repeat winner of 2024 in dominant fashion.  Track limits played a part along with pit road penalties in a race that generally lacked any drama.  The new "short track" package continues to suck in actually allowing cars to pass and provide more driveability.  Hendrick and Toyota continue to lead while Ford struggles. Chris Bell made a list of enemies, including former teammate Kyle Busch. 
On the XFinity side, Yung Money benefitted from Bobby Hill parking his car in front of SVG on the final lap of the race, costing both a chance at victory.  Sam Mayer finally gets a decent result and there was a mixed bag among the contenders.  For the Truck Series, Corey Heim barely had any resistance on his way to his first win of 2024.  The revelation was Conor Zilisch, who made his debut and qualified on pole.  After a tough start, the Trackhouse development driver moved his way back into the top five at the end of the race.  On the flip side, Marco Andretti's rear end fell out of his Roper Racing truck.  
The GSP Roundup covers F2/F3, Supercars, MotoGP/Moto2, WSBK, NHRA, WRC and Formula E before leading into previews and picks for the Easter weekend races at Richmond for NASCAR Cup and XFinity.  Josh lets us know about everything going on in iRacing on his Sim Segment before the Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 212 - TIREd Of It All

Phil and Josh return for E212 of the GSP after a wild and unpredictable Cup race at Bristol due to BadYear tires.  Dennis Hamlin was the biggest beneficiary with his victory while his Toyota teammates and the Hendrick Chevy's continue to dominate with the new "Short Track Package." The guys go over all the key storylines and the points leading into Circuit of the Americas. 
Christian Eckes earned his first victory of 2024 and the first for McAnally/Hilgeman Racing after Spire had dominated the early Truck Series races.  One of the main stories was Stewball going after Nick Sanchez postrace in an otherwise tame Truck event.  Phil and Josh go into the NFL Free Agency frenzy for their teams and across the league.  Who got better through this cycle and who is in trouble?  
The GSP Roundup recaps the 12 Hours of Sebring, Indy Supercross, and previews F2/F3/Supercars at Melbourne, MotoGP/Moto2 at Portimao, WSBK at Barcelona and the NHRA at Pomona for the Winternationals.  Phil and Josh spend a few brief moments discussing the F1 Australian Grand Prix and who will finish behind Fish Lips. 
The Thermal Club Million Dollar Challenge for the IndyCar Series is the first non-points race for IndyCar since 2008 and the first big money event since the days of the Marlboro Challenge in CART.  The guys preview the event and make their picks before doing the same for all three major NASCAR series at CoTA for the first road course of the year.   Josh lets us know all things going on with iRacing and gaming during his Sim Segment prior to the Show Close.