Grip Strip Podcast

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 93 - IndyCar Season Recap and 2022 Insanity

Phil and Josh return to start season three of the Grip Strip Podcast while covering the 2021 IndyCar season.  The guys discuss Alex Palou coming to Chip Ganassi Racing and winning his first title in only his second season.  The balance between youth and experience was shown throughout the season with Palou, Pato O'Ward, and Colton Herta standing out while veterans Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden made their presence felt. 
Outside of the season-long title fight, the biggest story of the year came from Helio Castro-Neves when he beat Palou to win his fourth Indy 500 in May.  Phil and Josh go into what that race meant and the memories from after the events themselves. The guys go over the silly season and who moves in and out of the series while focusing on what James Hinchcliffe's addition to the TV booth will mean for NBC.  
Initial discussions of title favorites, drivers that need to step up, and what the rookie battle will look like taking place before the GSP Roundup covering news in F1, NASCAR, the Rolex 24 for IMSA, Chili Bowl and the Dakar Rally.  Josh gets to rant about his Jaguars and the clown masks with staches that fans will wear to the stadium when his team plays the Indianapolis Colts.  Phil discusses the 49ers chances in LA to make the playoffs and prevent a complete meltdown and disappointment of a season. 
Josh goes over stuff in the iRacing world and sim racing before the show closes. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 92 - Formula 1 Season Recap Time

Phil and Josh return for a pre-Christmas and pre-holiday break edition of the GSP to discuss the recently completed 2021 Formula 1 World Championship season.  Plenty of focus and time on the battle between eventual World Champion Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton along with the background players and how the sanctioning body inserted themselves into this season-long fight. 
The guys also cover the Ferrari vs. McLaren tussle for 3rd in the Constructor's Championship and the driver pairings for both outfits as they move into 2022.  Standout drivers like Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and George Russell get their time while Phil and Josh also look at the driver movement and what the 2022 regulations might bring regarding both championships. 
Phil and Josh cover their actual teams with the drama surrounding both and fantasy football with Josh still in the running while Phil is playing for fifth.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 91 - Lest Anyone Think

Phil and Josh return for E91 of the Grip Strip Podcast to discuss the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the finish, and the crowning of a new World Drivers Champion for the first time since 2016.  The guys cover the race, the key players behind LH and MV, and the nonsense that led to the eventual result.  While the finish was questionable, certain segments of the fanbase along with Liberty Media appreciated the season-long battle in regards to Drive to Survive.  Conversations regarding the points, constructors, and post-season tests take place.
 
The NASCAR/IndyCar roundup covers all three major touring NASCAR series including NextGen testing along with recent news items in the IndyCar series.  The GSP Roundup covers Formula 2, Extreme E and Sports Car news.  For the NFL/Fantast Football segment, Josh loses it on Urban Meyer for his general incompetence and inability to coach a professional team.  For Phil, his 49ers are still in the playoff race while both guys have their fantasy teams in play.  Josh covers Sim Racing in his segment before show close.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 90 - Totally Farcical

Phil and Josh return for E90 of the GSP to unpack the insanity that took place during the Saudi Arabian GP, which saw Lewis Hamilton win and tie Max Verstappen in points with one race remaining in an epic F1 World Driver's Championship battle.  Discussions about driving standards, Michael Masi, the track and key players on both teams sounding awful come up along with Phil losing it on basically everyone. 
After F1, the guys cover the newly formed Petty/GMS team and other key news items in NASCAR and IndyCar before the GSP Roundup reviews the Bathurst 1000 and F2 at Saudi/Abu Dhabi.  Phil and Josh preview the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and their picks for the win and who will become the World Champion. 
Josh loses it on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer during the Football segment while Phil is just happy his 49ers are actually playing alright and in the playoff hunt.   They also cover their second match-up in the FallBrawl fantasy league as a precursor to the playoffs for both.  Josh discusses the Mercedes W12 being introduced into iRacing in the Sim Segment before the show closes. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 89 - Rights Out and Away We Go

Phil and Josh return for E89 of the GSP to discuss the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and what to look for regarding the Lewis vs Max battle for the World Championship.  Other key points battles in drivers and constructors are covered along with an IndyCar and NASCAR news recap.  The GSP Roundup covers the Bathurst 1000 and F2 at Saudi before NFL/NCAA Football talk with a crazy week and fantasy updates.  Josh provides his Sim Segment before the show closes. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 88 - Thankful Time

Phil and Josh return for Episode 88 of the GSP to review Lewis Hamilton's 102nd Formula 1 victory at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix for F1.  The guys cover the race weekend, the battle between LH and MV along with the superb effort from two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso to finish third.  How does this race set the table for the final two rounds of the championship between the WDC rivals and key points battles across drivers/constructors?
Phil and Josh get into what they are thankful for this year in motorsports and sports along with off-season news updates for IndyCar and NASCAR.  The Roundup covers WSBK in Indonesia, Shane Van Gisbergen becoming a two-time Supercars champion, Ron Capps continuing the Don Schumacher Racing exodus along with a review of the 2021 NHRA season, and Sebastian Ogier ending his full-time World Rally Championship career with a victory and his eighth World title. 
The football/fantasy football segment goes over SF vs Jax and the exploits for the crew in their respective fantasy teams before Josh's Sim Segment and show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 87 - #101

Phil and Josh return for E87 of the GSP to discuss one of Lewis Hamilton's greatest performances in his illustrious career.  Through plenty of turmoil, controversy and argy bargy, LH44 got in there and beat Max Verstappen in a massive way to get momentum and cut into Verstappen's championship lead with three races remaining.  The guys go over the performance and what it means for now and in general regarding Lewis' career.  Do the recent upgrades help Mercedes catch Red Bull after being behind most of the year?  Who else stood out behind this epic battle?
The guys do a NASCAR Roundup discussing the Gen7 testing at Charlotte along with news from #RFKRacing, #23XIRacing, #JGR and #GMSRacing.  The GSP Roundup covers the dramatic IMSA finale at Petit Le Mans, Valentino Rossi's last MotoGP race at Valencia, Supercars at Sydney III and IV and WSBK in Indonesia. 
Phil and Josh preview the first Qatar Grand Prix for Formula 1 with picks and thoughts on who could stand out across the field.  Football/Fantasy Football is discussed with both Jacksonville and San Francisco actually winning big games.  Josh's Sim Segment goes over Josh's latest exploits on iRacing, F1, etc before the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 86 - Championship Time

With the motorsports season quickly coming to a close, Phil and Josh have plenty to discuss on E86 of the GSP.  The guys start with Max Verstappen's latest dominant performance at the Mexican GP as he gets closer to his first World Driver's Championship and possibly Red Bull's first Constructor's Title since 2013.  Phil and Josh discuss the issues for Mercedes and other key storylines from the midfield.
NASCAR finished their 2021 season by crowning three new champions in the national touring series.  Kyle Larson ends one of the most dominant seasons with a 10th victory and his first Cup Series title but it wasn't easy.  At least three of the four championship drivers had a chance during the day.  Daniel Hemric used the last lap, last corner bump-and-run to move Austin Cindric for his first XFinity win and the championship.  Ben Rhodes didn't win the race but definitely won the party after a drunken post-race celebration as he becomes a Truck Series champ in his sixth full season. 
The Roundup covers WEC at Bahrain II, Supercars at Sydney II and III, MotoGP and Moto2 at Algarve II along with the Valencia finale, IMSA Petit Le Mans and Kyle Kirkwood signing with AJ Foyt Racing to drive the iconic No. 14.   Phil and Josh preview the Sao Paulo Grand Prix with picks along with what Lewis Hamilton/Mercedes must do to stop the Red Bull tide.  Football/Fantasy Football is discussed along with Josh's Sim Segment before the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 85 - NASCAR Roundtable with Phil, Josh and Joe Passero

Phil and Josh return for Episode 85 of the GSP and welcome previous guest Joe Passero of FanSided on to discuss all things NASCAR with the season-ending tripleheader at Phoenix Raceway taking place.  The guys go over the championship combatants and who stands the best chance of winning.  They also cover key issues with the sport regarding the Gen7, messaging, charters, schedule, and much more. 
The Roundup covers Supercars at Sydney, WEC at Bahrain, and MotoGP/Moto2 at Algarve before Phil and Josh preview the Mexican GP Formula 1 race.  Football talk and Josh's Sim Segment as usual proceed to the close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 84 - F1 Up, NASCAR Down

Phil and Josh come back for Episode 84 of the GSP to go over the epic United States Grand Prix battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.  Is MV's defeat of LH at one of his best tracks the turning point for the 2021 World Driver's Championship?  Ferrari bested McLaren in the battle for 3rd in Constructors while Daniel Ricciardo gets to live a dream driving Dale Earnhardt's Blue Goose at CoTA.  The guys discuss F1's place in America considering how well received the weekend was in Austin relative to the past and other motorsports series. 
In contrast, the NASCAR teams had a relatively quiet weekend at Kansas.  Larson wins again in Cup, Ty Gibbs gets his 4th XFinity win while also locking up the ARCA title and the cutoff battles tighten up with just one race to go at Martinsville.  Phil and Josh go over recent testing news in IndyCar and Sports Cars before the GSP Roundup which covers MotoGP/Moto2, Extreme E, W Series, Supercars, WEC and NHRA.
The guys preview the NASCAR triple-header at Martinsville with win picks and who will advance to the final four at Phoenix before getting into Football/Fantasy Football, Josh's Sim Segment and the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 83 - Texas Motor Speedway @#$%^

Phil and Josh return for E83 of the GSP to discuss yet another Larson win at one of the worst tracks on Planet Earth.  The story behind his domination was Joey Logano's blown engine and must-win scenario the 2018 Cup Champion finds himself in after this race. Add further drama between the remaining Chase drivers and there's plenty to race for with non-playoff drivers taking down great runs too. 
John Hunter Nemechek proves that the 54 car is pretty good yet again with his first XFinity win of 2021 after signing for another year in Trucks for KBM.  The guys go over the playoff implications going into Kansas.  IndyCar and IMSA news aplenty with movement from multiple Honda-powered teams. 
The GSP Roundup discusses World Superbike, NHRA, MotoGP/Moto2, Extreme E in Sardinia, and W Series at CoTA.  Phil and Josh discuss the USGP and the rumored Andretti Autosport takeover of Sauber.  The guys cover the rough surface and how it will play with the battle between LH and MV along with other intriguing battles.
Picks and discussions regarding Kansas for Cup and XFinity leading into Football/Fantasy Football discussion, Josh's Sim Segment and show close.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 82 - Porriage and Carnage

Phil and Josh return for Episode 82 of the GSP to discuss the Turkish Grand Prix, which saw Valterri Bottas win his first race in over a year while controversy reigned for teammate Lewis Hamilton.  Red Bull consolidated their points with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez but struggled to stay with the Mercedes pair.  The guys cover all of this and the major takeaways leading into the USGP. 
NASCAR's playoffs saw an elimination race at the demo derby which is the ROVAL.  Larson and Allmendinger take the W's and move into the next round while Phil and Josh go over who was eliminated.  Poor driving standards and questionable decisions with track setup continued a bad trend for the major series but that has become the norm. 
The Roundup covers IndyCar Silly Season news, IMSA GT at VIR, DTM at the Norisring, and WSBK at Argentina before the guys cover their fantasy football matchup in FallBrawl and how their actual teams are doing in the NFL.  Josh's Sim Segment always provides the precursor to the promotional stuff.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 81 - First Time, Long Time

Phil and Josh return for Episode 81 of the GSP to discuss three first-time winners in NASCAR's national touring series.  Bubba Wallace earned a historic 1st Cup Series win and provided plenty of fodder for different types.  The guys go over what it means and how the playoff drivers faired with the ROVAL looming as a cut-off race.  Brandon Brown took his first XFinity Series win after the race was shortened due to darkness and had some colorful fans yelling in the background.
Josh's Algorithm picked Tate Fogleman and he ended up winning the Truck Series race after dumping John Hunter Nemechek and crashing his own truck in the process.  Will Josh continue the bit for the ROVAL?  The GSP Roundup covered MotoGP/Moto2 at CoTA, WSBK at Algarve, DTM at Hockenheim and Norisring and IMSA GT at VIR. 
Phil and Josh preview the Turkish Grand Prix and cover the driver's championship battle between Lewis and Max along with other key battles within the driver and constructors' points.  They also preview the elimination race at the Charlotte ROVAL for Cup and XFinity along with picks for the race winners along with who will be eliminated. 
The guys cover their NFL teams after a brutal week for both along with Fantasy Football in the FallBrawl league plus Josh's Sim Segment before the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 80 - LH100, Hello Palou and So Much More

Phil and Josh return for Episode 80 of the Grip Strip Podcast to discuss Lewis Hamilton's historic 100th Formula 1 victory at the Russian Grand Prix.  The guys go over all the chaos that took place which allowed LH44 to get the century while his title rival Max Verstappen started last and still finished second.  They also give props to Lando Norris and others for their runs at the *&^%$drome.  
IndyCar finished their 2021 season at Long Beach with another great performance by Colton Herta and Alex Palou taking down his first title.  Phil and Josh go over the highs and lows of a crazy 2021 season and what is to come in 2022 for the IndyCar Series. 
NASCAR raced at Las Vegas with race one of different rounds, seeing Dennis Hamlin, Josh Berry and Christian Eckes winning their respective races.  They cover the implications of each victory relative to the playoff grid.  The GSP Roundup looks into F2/F3 at Sochi, IMSA at Long Beach, NHRA Midwest Nationals, WSBK at Jerez and Algarve and MotoGP/Moto2 returning to CoTA. 
The guys preview Talladega with the debut of Josh's Algorithm which saw Josh correctly pick one of the Saturday winners!  They ended up calling an audible on the Cup pick though.  NFL Week 3 discussion and Fantasy Football talk lead into Josh's Sim Segment and show close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 79 - Playoffs! We‘re Talking About Playoffs?!

Phil and Josh get into championship discussions for IndyCar at Laguna Seca and NASCAR with a Bristol tripleheader regarding said playoffs.  The guys go over Colton Herta's domination at Herta's House while Alex Palou got one step closer to his first IndyCar title.  They cover all the title combatants along with outstanding performances throughout the field. 
Bristol meant the cutoff for Cup and Trucks which saw Larson win again and Chandler Smith takes his first Truck win.  The most interesting finish though was in XFinity with AJ Allmendinger getting destroyed but still winning the regular-season title over Austin Cindric.
The GSP Roundup covers MotoGP/Moto2 at Misano, Indy Lights at Laguna, F2/F3 preview at Sochi, and WSBK at Catalunya and Jerez.  Phil and Josh preview the Russian GP and whether Max Verstappen will continue his dominance or can Lewis Hamilton respond in the tight world driver's championship battle.  They also cover the IndyCar finale at the historic Grand Prix of Long Beach and whether anyone has a chance to pass Alex Palou for the title along with race win contenders.  NASCAR races at Las Vegas with another triple-header with picks and previews.
The guys cover their NFL teams and fantasy football which is much better for the duo before Josh's Sim Segment and the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 78 - Snakes In The Lane

Phil and Josh return for Episode 78 of the GSP to cover all things motorsports and NFL!  The guys recap Daniel Ricciardo's first F1 victory in over 3.5 years at Monza along with McLaren's first 1-2 finish since 2010.  They also cover the incident(s) between Verstappen and Hamilton which saw MV33 park his car on Lewis' head.  Phil and Josh cover other takeaways as the teams get a week off before Putindrome. 
IndyCar at Portland provided great drama but Alex Palou came through with his third victory of the 2021 season while his closest competitors watched their gaps grow to the Chip Ganassi Racing star.  O'Ward, Newgarden and Dixon are still within striking distance but there's only two races to go in the IndyCar season.  Can any of them catch up to make the Long Beach Grand Prix even more dramatic? 
NASCAR Cup saw MTJ get another short track win at Richmond, which ended up being a JGR benefit.  On the flip side, Kurt Busch wrecked early on Saturday night and is in a tie with Alex Bowman for the cutoff spot going into Bristol.  The guys cover the playoff battle and what has to happen for advancement.  Gagson wins his second consecutive XFinity race after announcing a new deal with JRM. 
The Roundup covers MotoGP/Moto2 at Aragon along with a preview for Misano this weekend along with Indy Lights at Portland and a preview of Laguna Seca.  IMSA at Laguna Seca, F2 at Monza, NHRA at Maple Grove and WSBK at Catalunya are also discussed before previews of IndyCar at Laguna and NASCAR at Bristol plus discussion of the 2022 Cup Series schedule and the Clash moving to the LA Coliseum.   
Phil and Josh cover NFL Week 1 for their respective teams and the Fantasy Football side before Josh's Sim Segment and show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 77 - The Bob Vila Edition

Tools reigned with Max Verstappen taking a dominant win on home soil as Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort for the first time since 1985 for the Dutch GP.  The unique characteristics of the circuit after updates didn't really lead to much passing outside of Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez coming from the back.  Pierre Gasly stood out as the best of the midfield runners which Phil and Josh go over along with everything else that came from this race.
Dennis Hamlin finally stakes claim to a Cup win in 2021 and puts himself into the record books as one of only four drivers to win the Daytona 500 and Southern 500 three times.  Phil and Josh cover the Cup Series playoff opener in detail along with Gagson winning somehow and Sheldon Creed going two for two to start the Truck Series playoffs at the track Too Tough to Tame. 
The GSP Roundup covers F3/W Series at Zandvoort, MotoGP/Moto2 at Aragon, IMSA at Laguna Seca, Indy Lights at Portland, and F2 at Monza before previews of the Italian GP, IndyCar at Portland, NASCAR at Richmond, and NFL Week 1.  The guys go over fantasy teams as well before Josh's Sim Segment and the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 76 - Raining Like a !@#$%^&*

Phil and Josh return for Episode 76 of the GSP to discuss whatever F1 did at Spa for the Belgian GP which saw them call a two-lap procession behind the pace car a race.  George Russell's qualifying runs on Saturday basically locked in the second Mercedes seat along with his first podium while his BFF Lando Norris crashed out of possibly getting his first win.  The guys go over the farcical events and how they could've handled things better.  They also cover Kimi announcing his retirement from F1 after nearly 20 years in the sport.  
In NASCAR news, YRB got his second consecutive victory and another superspeedway win at Daytona to take plenty of momentum into the playoffs.  Tyler Reddick held on after a chaotic race to get the final playoff spot.  Phil and Josh go over the racing that took place and other standouts including those who missed the playoffs.  The Xfinity race saw another Kaulig Racing victory for Justin Haley as he prepares for a full-time Cup move in 2022.  AJ Allmendinger also took over the regular-season points lead over Cindric.    Silly Season discussion about Kurt Busch's move to 23XI and Xfinity news gets covered as well.
The Roundup covers MotoGP/Moto2 at Silverstone, F3/WSeries at Spa, Extreme E Arctic X-Prix, F3/WSeries at Zandvoort and DTM in Austria. 
Phil and Josh preview and make picks for the first Dutch Grand Prix for F1 since 1985 and whether it will be anything other than the Max Verstappen GP.  They also cover the NASCAR triple-header at Darlington including the Cup playoff opener at the Southern 500 along with picks.  NFL coverage and Josh's Sim Segment also get their spot before the show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 75 - RIP Robin Miller

Phil and Josh return for Episode 75 of the GSP and initially discuss the loss of motorsports journalistic legend Robin Miller.  The guys give their thoughts and memories of Miller while going over some of the best things that Robin brought to sport over 50+ years of involvement. 
Miller would've had plenty to say about the IndyCar race at Gateway, which saw Josef Newgarden win and Pato O'Ward retake the points lead.  Chip Ganassi Racing has a nightmare race and plenty more argy-bargy took place which brings up the issues of driving standards and respect among the competitors. 
NASCAR Cup at Michigan was a Hendrick benefit till Young Ryan Blaney snuck through on a late restart to take his second win of 2021.  AJ Allmendinger in XFinity at Michigan and Sheldon Creed in Trucks won with Allmendinger closing the gap on Cindric in the regular-season points while Creed won the Playoff opener for Trucks at Gateway. 
A busy segment of the GSP Roundup goes over the 24 Hours of Le Mans, WSBK at Navarra, Indy Lights at Gateway, DTM at the Nurburgring, F3 & W Series at Spa, MotoGP/Moto2 at Silverstone, and Extreme E in Greenland. 
Phil and Josh preview the return of Formula 1 at the Belgian Grand Prix with a focus on Verstappen vs. Hamilton along with McLaren vs. Ferrari and the other key battles with picks.  They also preview the Cup regular-season finale at Daytona in the Coke Zero 400 and XFinity with the Wawa 250.  Regular football and FallBrawl Fantasy Football talk precede Josh's sim segment before we close for the week.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 74 - Indy, Le Mans and More

Phil and Josh return for Episode 74 of the Grip Strip Podcast talking about everything going on in motorsports.  The guys go over the IndyCar race which saw Will Power win for the fifth time at the Indy road course along with all the other crazy events including Alex Palou blowing an engine closing the points battle up.  Further discussion about the NASCAR races at the track takes place with analysis regarding the last few laps during the Verizon 200 between the curb issue and what took place between Briscoe and Hamlin.
 
The Roundup goes over the 24 Hours of Le Mans preview, Formula E at Berlin, MotoGP/Moto2 at Austria2, WRC Rally Belgium, WSBK at Navarra, and Indy Lights at Gateway.  Phil and Josh preview the IndyCar/Truck races at Gateway along with the Cup/XFinity at Michigan.  Further discussion about NFL with the guy's teams and fantasy preview with both Phil and Josh looking to win FallBrawl this year.
Josh lets us know where he's racing during the Sim Segment before we provide an outro.