Grip Strip Podcast

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.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 211 - Status Quo For Now

Phil and Josh return for E211 of the GSP to look at all three major racing series the show covers: IndyCar, NASCAR and F1.  On the IndyCar side, Josef Newgarden started his chase for a third series title with a dominant win at St. Petersburg.  While it was the Honda Grand Prix, the Chevy's had the measure of Honda by taking the top four spots.  The guys look at the race and key storylines heading to Thermal Club for the Million Dollar shootout.  
NASCAR Cup and XFinity raced at the Phoenix dump and it was a Toyota benefit in Cup and XFinity (to a degree).  Christopher Bell took the lead over the final green flag run to earn his first win of 2024.  The race and strategy flipped on a Dennis Hamlin spin around 100 to go.  Chandler Smith was the beneficiary of a BadYear tire failure for Justin Allgaier with four laps to go, taking his first win for JGR at one of their best XFinity tracks. Phil and Josh review both along with the Cup rules changes before looking at Bristol.
F1 was the usual with Fish Lips and Checo finishing 1-2.  Charl Eclair earned the final podium spot while his teammate Carlos Sainz had to bow out due to appendicitis.  F2 driver Ollie Bearman took over on Saturday and drove masterfully to earn points on debut.  Mercedes continues to suck, Ferrari has some pace and Red Fool has drama but the racing doesn't really provide any.
The GSP Roundup covers F2 and F1 Academy at Saudi, the NHRA Gatornationals and what Anthony Wayne did on debut, Indy NXT at St. Pete, the Daytona 200, Supercross at Indy and a preview of the 12 Hours of Sebring plus the news of Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac splitting after 2024.  
NASCAR Cup and Trucks will race on the concrete at Bristol in the spring for the first time since 2020, so Phil and Josh preview the races and make their picks prior to Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 210 - Dominance

Phil and Josh return for E210 of the GSP to cover a lot of dominant performances in the world of motorsports.  Kyle Larson won the first cookie-cutter race of the season in a runaway over Tyler Reddick.  Race was relatively competitive behind Larson, but Ford's are left wanting.  John Hunter Nemechek provided an example for Larson the day before in the XFinity race with teammate Chandler Smith second and defending series champ Cole Custer third.  
The major story from the weekend was Rajah Carruth's maiden Truck Series victory, proving Hendrick has made a great investment in the Washington, D.C. product.  Ty Majeski won both stages and the race was clean for what the series has put out there in recent events.  
Fish Lips led a Red Fool 1-2 with Checo Perez behind with the Smooth Operator taking the last place on the podium.  The top five teams almost finished in order.  Mercedes continues to do a terrible job and Lewis Hamilton struggled throughout the weekend to a seventh.  Karen Horner was "cleared," but it shows yet another example of the lack of transparency and truly investigating improprieties like what Ben Sulayem does regularly. 
A busy GSP Roundup covers WEC at Qatar, F2 & F3 at Bahrain with F2 at Saudi, the Daytona Supercross, MotoGP Qatar GP, NHRA Gatornationals, Indy NXT at St. Pete, F1 Academy at Saudi and the Daytona 200. Phil and Josh combine to preview the 2024 IndyCar Series season along with previewing and making picks for the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.
The guys also briefly look at the Saudi GP for Formula 1 before previewing Cup & XFinity at Phoenix.  Josh lets us know all things going on in sim racing and gaming in his Sim Segment prior to Show Close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 209 - Life Imitates Art? (With Sarah Davis & Phil Spain)

After one of the most dramatic finishes in motorsports history, Phil and Josh come back for E209 of the GSP and invite two people who were there to see it all at Atlanta.  Former guest Phil Spain and his better half Sarah Davis come on to talk all things Atlanta, Darrell Wallace, Jr., NASCAR, social media and more. 
The Amigos were very happy after Daniel Suarez won over his buddy Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch on Sunday.  Austin Hill took another drafting track victory in XFinity while Kyle Busch didn't leave Atlanta empty handed after his 65th Truck Series win.  The group gives their thoughts on the racing, the results and what it means for Suarez especially. 
The 2024 Formula 1 Season starts with the likely repeat of 2023 in the crosshairs.  Phil and Josh go over each team, make their picks for the Top 3 in points along with Bold Predictions.  This week's Roundup goes over the WSBK opener at Phillip Island, Supercars at Bathurst, previews of F2 & F3 and other pertinent news. 
After two drafting races, the NASCAR teams move to their first cookie cutter at Las Vegas.  The guys preview each race and make their picks for the weekend prior to Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close. 
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 208 - Daytona Follies

After a chaotic weekend at the "World's Center of Racing," Phil and Josh come back for E208 of the GSP to review and call it all. 
The XFinity race was live during the show so the guys gave their live announcing and analyst chops some work in-between the reviews of William Byron winning the Daytona 500 under caution and Nick Sanchez getting his first Truck Series win through carnage.  Phil and Josh give their thoughts on the racing, the lack of respect and quality of the product and what the wins mean for Byron, Sanchez and Hill.  
The GSP Roundup covered ARCA, Supercross, WRC, Extreme E, MotoGP, Bathurst 12 Hours for GT3 cars and the Bathurst 500 season opener for the Supercars along with the Le Mans Entry List.  Phil and Josh get back in to cover F1 testing at Bahrain and what to take away from the tests leading into the season opening race. 
The guys preview, making picks and get the Tate Fogleman Algorithm out for Atlanta.  Josh lets us know all things iRacing and sims in his Sim Segment prior to closing it all up.  

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 207 - Daytona Dreams and Vegas Nightmares

Phil and Josh return for E207 of the GSP after Phil's 49ers take a gut-wrenching loss at the hands of Kermit The Frog and the Chiefs.  Phil goes through the stages of grief while the guys break down the game, including what worked for KC and what didn't for SF.  They also looked at the really famous singer and her boyfriend along with the comparisons between Mahomes/Kelce/Reid and Brady/Gronk/Belichick.
In more positive news, the NASCAR season begins at Daytona - culminating with the Daytona 500.  Phil and Josh preview the season for all three major series and make too early championship picks.  Drama taking place in F1 with Karen Horner in trouble, Fred Alonso's obsession with Lewis Hamilton and American Jak Crawford signing with Aston Martin.  
The GSP Roundup returns with Supercars champ Brodie Kostecki and Erebus drama leading into their season opener at Bathurst, MotoGP testing, previews of Rally Sweden and Extreme E where Legacy Motor Club will come in and race in 2024.  The guys then get back to preview and make picks for all three series at Daytona along with the return of the Tate Fogleman Algorithm before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 206 - Clash At The Super Bowl

Phil and Josh return for E206 of the GSP to preview the Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs along with recapping Dennis Hamlin's victory at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. 
However, the biggest news story of the week came from Sir Lewis Hamilton, who announced he will move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 along with becoming an ambassador for the brand.  Phil and Josh get into what that move means for Lewis, F1 and motorsports in general.  On the flip side, Andretti Global was denied by FOM.  Phil and Josh gave their scathing views of the decision and what it says about a group that seemingly wants to be in the United States, but not have an actual American team.
At the Busch Light Clash, Hamlin wins in what was a Toyota benefit for the most part.  After a tame first half of the race, the second half definitely had more action but the Gibbs domination stood.  The weather concerns cancelled the heats and sent some good drivers home before the main event itself.  The guys go over all the main players and key storylines as the NASCAR teams head to Daytona.
Phil and Josh break down the Super Bowl LVIII matchup between San Francisco and Kansas City with what we should be looking for from both teams as they play in a rematch of the game four years ago.  Phil and Josh make their picks and MVP candidates along with X-Factors on both sides.  
The motorsports update has F1 livery reveals, Christian Horner in hot water due to sexual harassment claims and a passionate discussion about the Indy 500 having guaranteed spots before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 205 - Penske Perfect & The Rematch

Phil's birthday weekend wasn't ruined by the results of either the Rolex 24 or the NFL Conference Championships...even if San Francisco had Phil on the ropes and physically ill.  Phil and Josh discuss both the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl for a rematch.  Both games are covered and the guys review the key plays and players before an early preview of the Super Bowl itself.  
At the Rolex 24, the Penske Porsche's stood above the rest to take their first Rolex win in 58 years.  The Whelen Engineering Cadillac team was the key foil for what became a Porsche benefit in the GTP category.  Phil and Josh look at the overall battle along with the winners in LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD plus other storylines that came from the great race.  
For the motorsports update, Phil looks at Formula E at Saudi, SuperMotocross, Rally Monte Carlo and other major news stories before the guys preview the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.  Phil and Josh make their predictions and picks prior to Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.