Grip Strip Podcast

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 198 - Crunch Time Closers

Phil and Josh return for E198 of the GSP to review the NASCAR XFinity and Craftsman Truck Series 2023 campaigns.  What does Cole Custer's championship performance at Phoenix say about his viability and future in Cup after the demotion? 
John Hunter Nemechek was dominant like in Trucks but could not close the deal in the playoffs while Austin Hill showed that he was a whiny, spoiled choker who isn't a good teammate.  JRM saw Justin Allgaier fall short yet again for an elusive title while Sam Mayer had a breakout campaign.  The guys look at Kaulig Racing falling off and early favorites for 2024.
On the Truck Series side, Ben Rhodes by virtually any measure wasn't a championship driver.  However, he was in the right place at the right time to close the deal and become a two-time series champion.  Grant Enfinger was in position to give GMS a walk-off title but Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar decided to destroy each other.  Will Heim's reaction to Hocevar's driving sully the quality of driving he showed through the majority of the season? 
Hocevar broke out in 2023 but his judgement and driving standards were questionable at best.  Will he get the same treatment like mentor Ross Chastain or will being a full-time Cup Series driver make him change?  Finally, with the death of Kyle Busch Motorsports and GMS Racing, how healthy is the Truck Series?
Phil and Josh talk about Week 13 of the NFL season for their actual teams along with fantasy getting closer to the playoffs before a short GSP Roundup covering the Snowball Derby, Extreme E's season finale in Chile, and NHRA news.  Josh's Sim Segment lets us know about all things iRacing and gaming before Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 197 - Feasts & Celebrations

Phil and Josh provide a brief recap of the F1 season finale at Abu Dhabi.  Points rundowns and the young driver test are also covered before the guys get into the new NASCAR television package.  How will the new setup affect the average NASCAR fan versus diehards?
For the season review portion, Phil and Josh go over Fish Lips and Red Bull's domination for the past three seasons and what it means relative to other greats of the sport.  The guys discuss what the teams behind Red Bull can do to at least have a chance to compete instead of being used up in a handful of laps.  Finally, surprises and disappointments for the year including the likes of Oscar Piastri and Alpine.
NFL Week 12 is next with Phil and Josh looking at their actual squads and fantasy prospects approaching the playoffs.
The GSP Roundup covered the South Carolina 400 and Thanksgiving Classic for late model stock cars, MotoGP/Moto2 season finale at Valencia along with the post season test, WRC Rally Japan, Supercars at Adelaide and the championship showdown between Brodie Kostecki and Shane Van Gisbergen, F2 season finale at Abu Dhabi, Lia Block being hired by Williams to represent them in F1 Academy and Cadillac registering as a power unit manufacturer for F1 starting in 2028.
The crew goes over what they were thankful for in the 2023 motorsports year before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 196 - Thanksgiving Tithings

Phil, Josh and returning guest Joe Passero all come back for a pre-Thanksgiving edition of the GSP to review the 2023 Cup Series season.  Prior to the Cup discussion, Phil and Josh review an entertaining and action packed F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.  While the main result was the same as usual, the battle for the victory and racing throughout the field actually made the race watchable for the first time in months.  The guys get into who stood out and who rolled snake eyes in the inaugural race down The Strip.  
The recently completed Cup Series season provided plenty of ebbs and flows but the biggest surprise after a down year for the blue oval brigade was Penske's Ryan Blaney winning twice in the playoffs and finishing second to earn his first Cup Series title.  The guys discuss what it means for YRB as a driver and the sport itself with one of the most popular drivers taking the hardware.  On the flip side, William Byron had a career year with Hendrick having 50% representation in the Final Four.  However, neither Byron or Kyle Larson left with the title. 
Outside of Hendrick, Joe Gibbs Racing was the other dominant team with Martin Truex, Jr. winning the regular season title and promptly dropping anchor once the playoffs began.  Dennis Hamlin let everyone know that this was his season but per usual, he leaves without the elusive championship.  Christopher Bell continues to show his clutch gene with another great playoff performance and Final 4 berth while Keebler Gibbs won ROTY going away.
The crew talk about the retirement of Kevin Harvick and his meaning to the sport after a 22-year career in Cup.  The guys look at the stats, his presence in and out of the car and what his entrance into the broadcast booth can do for lay and diehard fans alike.  Other key topics were the playoff format and the issues with the Next Gen car on short tracks and road courses.  What changes need to be made to make the racing better with the car in general?  Finally, Phil, Josh and Joe give their surprises and disappointments for the 2023 season. 
Phil and Josh get into Week 11 of the NFL where both of their teams took victories and they review their fantasy squads as well.  The guys preview and make picks for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix behind Fish Lips before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 195 - Football Talk & IndyCar Season Review

Phil and Josh return for E195 of the GSP to review and recap a thrilling IndyCar Series season plus provide updates on the NFL after their respective teams faced off in Duval.  Alex Palou asserted himself with a high level of consistency and dominance once he took the lead in races.  The crew looks at Palou's outstanding season and becoming one of the best drivers in the world with his second IndyCar title while showing an amazing lack of awareness with contract management. 
Palou's teammate Scott Dixon continues to show why he's a legend and a force to be reckoned with after winning three of the last four races in the 2023 season.  Phil and Josh look at The Iceman's chances at a seventh title along with his ability to compete at such a high level for so long.  Chevrolet won the 2023 Manufacturer's title on the backs of Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, Scotty McLaughlin and Pato O'Ward.  Newgarden did the majority of his work on the ovals while McLaughlin continues to improve and progress.  O'Ward went winless in 2023 but showed why McLaren has so much invested in him as the leader of the organization.
Young guns Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard took their maiden IndyCar victories at Long Beach and Toronto respectively while the next generation of drivers made their presence felt throughout the entire season.  Marcus Ericsson earned the victory at St. Pete to start the 2023 season and came really close to repeating at Indy but became the story of the 2023 silly season by making the move from Ganassi to Andretti.  Phil and Josh go through all the changes coming to the 2024 grid.
Marcus Armstrong earned the ROTY award for Ganassi defeating Augustin Canapino while the other rookies left a lot to be desired.  The guys go over what stood out and what needs to change in 2024 while also covering the addition of hybridization to IndyCar next season.  Phil and Josh sat on opposite ends of the results in the 49ers/Jaguars matchup, with Josh expressing his displeasure at his team's performance and their long-term viability in 2023.  Fantasy teams also got their look during the football segment.
A short and sweet GSP Roundup covers MotoGP/Moto2, NHRA, WRC and other pertinent news items before a preview and picks for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix behind Fish Lips. Josh lets us know all things going on in the world of gaming and iRacing in his Sim Segment before Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 194 - Blue Ovals In The Desert

Phil and Josh return for E194 of the GSP to recap a busy NASCAR Championship weekend at Phoenix, which saw Ford sweep the titles in Trucks, XFinity and Cup.  Ryan Blaney used the momentum he built during the playoffs and a great car to overtake Kyle Larson late to become a Cup Series champion.  Larson finished 3rd, Byron 4th and Chris Bell fell out early with brake failure.  Blaney and Ross Chastain raced each other hard and a possible rivalry may be brewing with the champ and the Watermelon man who won the race.  Kevin Harvick ended his full-time career with a strong seventh place finish.
After two runner-up finishes at Homestead, Cole Custer broke through to win at Phoenix and get his first XFinity title to salvage a brutal year for Stewart-Haas Racing.  Custer won in overtime over Sheldon Creed and championship contender Justin Allgaier.  Sam Mayer finished fifth while John Hunter Nemechek's great season ended with a brutal 28th place finish. 
Ben Rhodes was the last man standing after a chaotic and frankly pathetic Truck Series finale at Phoenix to become a two-time series champion.  Carson Hocevar dumped Corey Heim and the Tricon driver came back to clean Hocevar out.  That incident brought out a yellow which likely cost Grant Enfinger the championship in the final race for GMS Racing.  Kyle Busch Motorsports also ran their last Truck race after years of success.  The guys give their thoughts on what transpired and the viability of the series in general. 
The Brazilian Grand Prix saw Fish Lips dominate and pass his BFF Lando Norris early.  Aston Martin came back from hibernation while Mercedes possibly had their worst race in the last 10 years at Sao Paulo on the heels of winning the pole and race last year.  On the NFL beat, both Phil and Josh's teams are on bye but plenty took place with the injury bug rearing its ugly head.  Fantasy teams are definitely being affected by said injuries.  The guys preview the Jaguars/49ers match-up and Chase Young's debut in the burgundy and gold. 
A brief GSP Roundup covers the WEC finale at Bahrain along with the post-season test along with previews of MotoGP/Moto2 at Malaysia and NHRA season finale at Pomona before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 193 - Trick or Treat?

Phil and Josh return for E193 of the GSP to recap Martinsville for NASCAR Cup and XFinity and much more.  Ryan Blaney earned a crucial victory and advanced to the Final 4 at Phoenix.  The guys cover YRB's clutch performance and the other playoff contenders while Denny Hamlin falls short of his proclamation of being the guy to beat.  Will Byron gets in on points while Hamlin, polesitter Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick and Christopher Buescher were eliminated. 
A controversial and ridiculous XFinity Series race saw RCR teammates Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed use each other up and end up on the wrong side of the cut, while Justin Allgaier took advantage to win and earn his spot in the Final 4.  Phil and Josh get into the race and the aftermath with key players from the organization looking terrible.  John Hunter Nemechek advanced earlier in the race but the last lap incident saw Cole Custer reverse his way into the fourth spot.
Fish Lips took his record breaking 16th win of the season by 15 seconds over Sir Lewis Hamilton and polesitter Charles Leclerc at the GP of Mexico.  Verstappen has won 31 races in the last two seasons and utilized a banzai maneuver by teammate Sergio Perez on Lap One to take the lead.  The fans decided to go nuclear on Leclerc for no reason.  Kevin Magnussen brought out a red flag with a massive shunt and Lando Norris went from tailback to finish fifth.
On the football beat, Phil is frustrated with the 49ers after they go into their bye on the heels of three consecutive losses.  Bad tackling, coaching calls, the injuries of Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel and Brock Purdy making poor decisions for the first time as 49ers starter.  On the flip side, Josh's Jaguars enter their bye on a five game winning streak and come back with a home game versus the 49ers.  Fantasy fortunes are mixed. 
The GSP Roundup looks at MotoGP/Moto2, Supercars, WSBK, NHRA, WRC, WEC and the news of Aric Almirola leaving the SHR 10 car for 2024...what should we expect from that organization after a brutal 2023?  The guys preview, make picks and give the final four order for all three major NASCAR series at Phoenix before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 192 - Golden Ticket Time

Phil and Josh are on during the 49ers Monday Night Football match-up versus the Vikings, which has Phil in his feelings throughout E192 of the GSP. 
In spite of this, the guys get into the triple-header at Homestead and Christopher Bell coming in clutch to advance into the Final 4 in Cup.  Bell benefited from the error by Kyle Larson entering pit road behind Ryan Blaney, leaving Larson on the hook and Blaney having to fight back.  Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex, Jr. and Christopher Buescher are all looking up after a rough outing in Miami. 
Sam Mayer chose a great time for his first oval win in the XFinity Series, holding off Riley Herbst to lock himself into the Final 4.  Cole Custer won the pole, led the most laps and won a stage to solidify his position heading to Martinsville.  Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith are in must-win situations at Martinsville after another difficult day.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made his second start of 2023 and finished 5th riding the boards. 
Carson Hocevar's career season continues with a fourth Truck Series victory and clinching a spot in the Final 4, holding off defending series champion (and future teammate) Zane Smith.  Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes raced their way through on points. Smith's Front Row Motorsports Ford was disqualified after post-race inspection, eliminating the Huntington Beach, CA driver for the first time in his Truck Series career from a Final 4 appearance.  Joining him were pole-sitter Nick Sanchez (who tied Rhodes on points), Christian Eckes and Ty Majeski. 
The US Grand Prix at CoTA had plenty of fans in attendance and action throughout the event, but the usual result took place.  Fish Lips took his 50th career win and 15th of 2023. Sir Lewis Hamilton got as close as he has to a 104th victory in 2023 but was disqualified along with pole-sitter Charles Leclerc due to plank wear. Lando Norris rounded out the podium on the road but the Smooth Operator ended up on the third step.  Behind that chaos was Logan Sargeant, who became the first American to earn a point in F1 since Michael Andretti at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.  
NFL Week 7 had the guys talking about their fantasy teams plus Josh discussing his Jaguars continuing to rise while Phil was bemused by the 49ers performance.  The GSP Roundup looked at MotoGP/Moto2, F1 Academy, Smoke selling the All-Star Circuit of Champions to Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet's High Limit Sprint Car Series, WRC, Supercars, World Superbike, NHRA, Formula E and Indy NXT.
Phil and Josh preview and make picks for the Grand Prix of Mexico before doing the same for the Cup and XFinity races at Martinsville.  Who will join the already advanced at Phoenix for a title shot? Josh talks about all things iRacing and gaming in his Sim Segment prior to Show Close.  

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 191 - Victory Chasing

Phil and Josh return for E191 of the GSP to discuss Kyle Larson's busy and successful week which culminated with a dominant victory at Las Vegas.  Yung Money also earned a berth into the Final Four of the Cup Championship after passing his ROP for the Indy 500 and winning his High Limit Sprint Car title.  Chris Bell and Brad Keselowski were the other two key leaders in a relatively clean affair, while the cutoff becomes more interesting. 
On the XFinity side, Riley Herbst earned his first career win at home in a Stewart-Haas benefit.  Cole Custer and Chandler Smith led along with Herbst while the championship four will have two drivers advance on points at a minimum heading to Homestead.
For NFL Week Six, Phil deals with San Francisco's first loss of 2023 along with a 1-3 fantasy week.  Josh attended the Jaguars game and watched his team win over former starting QB Gardner Minshew, while Trevor Lawrence avoided serious injury on a terrible late game play call.  The guys look at other key results and player injuries leading to Week Seven.
The GSP Roundup covers IMSA, NHRA, MotoGP/Moto2, F1 Academy, BTCC and Robert Wickens inspirational return to motorsports culminating in a TCR championship with co-driver Harry Gottsacker in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.  Phil and Josh preview and make picks for the US Grand Prix at CoTA behind Fish Lips before doing the same for the NASCAR triple-header at Homestead.  Josh lets you know about all things sim racing and gaming in his Sim Segment before Show Close.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 190 - Winning Is Everything

Phil and Josh return for E190 of the GSP for Charlotte Roval, Qatar GP, NFL talk and more.  AJ Allmendinger earned his first Cup victory in 50 starts last weekend along with his first win as a father.  The guys look at how The Dinger held the field off along with who advanced into the Round of 8. 
On the XFinity side, Sam Mayer took a Hail Mary win to advance while the likes of teammate Josh Berry fell out of championship contention.  Points are reviewed as the series head to Las Vegas.  The crew discusses the 2024 schedules and what they like, don't like and more plus Deegan's move up to XFinity in 2024. 
The usual person won at Qatar in the main race but rookie Oscar Piastri scored his first pole and win during the Sprint.  McLaren continues to emphasize their strength since Silverstone in the process while Mercedes had an teammate confrontation in turn one after Lewis started on soft tires and George played dumb. Points are reviewed heading to CoTA in a couple of weeks.
In the NFL, Josh's Jaguars take down two consecutive victories in London while Phil's 49ers opened a can on the Cowboys on SNF. Fantasy football updates are discussed as well before the GSP Roundup looking at the Bathurst 1000 for Supercars, MotoGP/Moto2 in Indonesia, NHRA in Dallas and IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
The guys combine to preview and make picks for the Las Vegas Cup and XFinity races before Josh looks at iRacing making a deal to make a NASCAR console game plus IndyCar putting out content regarding their release from Motorsports Games during the Sim Segment. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 189 - Survival Time

Phil and Josh return for another episode of the GSP to cover the carnage that is Talladega with Young Ryan Blaney earning a third photo finish victory over Kevin Harvick (prior to his DQ).  The guys get into the race which saw plenty of Ford's lead with Joey Logano leading the most laps and Blaney and Keselowski winning the stages.  The fans saw 70 lead changes among 24 drivers plus the usual wrecking with Keselowski causing the big one.  Brad and Ross are among the drivers stressed going into the Roval at Charlotte with the points cutoff. 
For the Trucks, Brett Moffitt in a one-off won for Front Row Motorsports but the defending series champion Zane Smith will be in a must-win situation heading to Homestead. Nick Sanchez and Parker Kligerman won the stages but Sanchez ended up in the news after a big wreck with Matt Crafton, after the three-time series champion sucker punched the rookie post race.  The crew goes over the points heading to Homestead and the story of KBM being sold to Spire Motorsports.  
In the NFL, Phil and Josh have mixed fortunes with their actual teams while the fantasy football side is providing varying results.  The guys discuss their favorites and the players that are good/bad for them in real and fantasy sports.  The GSP Roundup looks at MotoGP/Moto2, WSBK, NHRA, Supercars at the Bathurst 1000 and Andretti Global being approved as the 11th team for Formula 1.  Speaking of F1, Phil and Josh preview who will finish behind Fish Lips at the Qatar Grand Prix after he gets a second title, along with previews and picks for the Charlotte Roval and who advances before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 188 - Expect Anything Different?

Phil and Josh return for E188 of the GSP to discuss Big Hat Byron sneaking through for his sixth win of the 2023 Cup season at the Texas dump.  Darrell Wallace, Jr. led the most laps after qualifying on pole but was brutal on himself after a late race restart ended up working against him.  The guys talk about Bubba, Byron and the stage winners (Yung Money & Reddick).
Numerous yellows and wrecked race cars made up the majority of the day.  This would also be the case for the XFinity Series, where John Hunter Nemechek won for the seventh time in 2023.  Justin Allgaier won both stages and Custer continues his consistency.  Josh Berry, Sam Mayer and Jeb Burton are in trouble leading into the Roval.
Formula 1 raced at Suzuka with the usual result up front, but the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking a double podium finish.  The Australian rookie became the first rookie to score a podium since 2017, but the inter team battles for Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine provided the drama. 
IndyCar announced their 2024 schedule, so Phil and Josh give their thoughts on the Milwaukee Mile's return with a Labor Day weekend doubleheader and the other changes coming along for the 17-race slate.  The guys also speak about the demise of TMS after 26 years hosting American Open Wheel Racing. 
Phil and Josh talk about their actual teams and fantasy football for Week 3 before the GSP Roundup looks at MotoGP/Moto2, WSBK and WRC.  The Tate Fogleman Algorithm comes out of hibernation for the last time in 2023 as Phil and Josh preview and make their picks for Talladega Cup and Trucks before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.
 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 187 - I Beat Your Favorite Driver!

Phil and Josh return for E187 of the GSP to discuss the NASCAR triple-header at Bristol, where Dennis Hamlin trolled the crowd and finally closed the deal to advance into the Round of 12 after his third Bristol night race win.  The crew goes over all the action and who ended up on the wrong side of the cut line after 500 laps. 
Justin Allgaier held off Daniel Hemric to start his XFinity playoff with a win while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. returned and led before catching fire!  Outside of those two, the rest of JR Motorsports had a rough evening and other teammates definitely left Bristol in a bad mood.  Corey Heim advanced to Phoenix with his victory at Bristol for the Truck Series while Christian Eckes and Zane Smith also featured as the series goes to Talladega.  
The guys spend time to acknowledge Sherry Pollex and her untimely passing after a long battle with ovarian cancer and the input from someone who has been a virus in motorsports with Miss hUMMer.  Zane Smith announced he will be driving for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series starting in 2024 through a partnership with Spire Motorsports after the team principles bought Live Fast Racing's charter for $40 million.   
On a rare weekend where Formula 1 fans were spared from seeing and hearing Fish Lips dominate (even when he did break rules and not pay for those transgressions), Carlos Sainz proved why he's a smooth operator with a pole and a second career F1 victory at Singapore.  Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the podium after George Russell bungled the finish taking a possible win and ending up in the wall.  The guys go over other key battles and points before the series moves to Suzuka in Japan.
Phil and Josh go over all things NFL after a chaotic Week 2, which included a live discussion of Nick Chubb's season ending injury for the Browns during MNF.  Josh has his thoughts on the play-calling after Jacksonville ends up losing to Kermit The Frog along with his fantasy team.  Phil looks at San Francisco's tight victory against the Rams and their TNF home opener versus the Giants. 
The GSP Roundup reviews SuperMotoCross Playoffs, NHRA, Extreme E, IMSA, Supercars, MotoGP/Moto2 in India and WSBK at Aragon before Phil and Josh preview and make picks behind Fish Lips for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.  The guys preview and make picks for the worst active track on Planet Earth (Cup and XFinity at Texas Motor Speedway) before Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 186 - Timing Is Everything

Phil and Josh return for a jam packed E186 of the GSP to discuss the IndyCar Series finale at Laguna Seca, which saw Scott Dixon close his 2023 season with his first win at the track while Alex Palou officially received his second series title in three years.  The guys talk about the carnage filled race, restart issues, the pace car running out of gas and Silly Season updates leading to the longest off-season in motorsports.
NASCAR continues their 2023 playoff with a triple-header at Kansas Speedway, where Tyler Reddick continued the 23XI domination of the track with his second win of the season along with advancing to the Round of 12.  Phil and Josh go over the atrocious restart Reddick's team co-owner Denny Hamlin had along with other key players in the race leading into the cutoff at Bristol. 
The XFinity Series finished their regular season at Kansas with the status quo of John Hunter Nemechek winning for the sixth time in 2023 while Austin Hill won the regular season title.  Parker Kligerman overtook Riley Herbst to get the last playoff spot while Bruckshot Jones tried to save his season but fell one spot short. Christian Eckes used a last lap three-wide pass on Corey Heim and Zane Smith to advance into the Round of 8, while Nick Sanchez and Carson Hocevar took the stage wins.  DiBenedetto and Matt Crafton saw their 2023 championship chances end, even with Matty D finishing third in the race.
Phil and Josh get into all things NFL with a Week 1 recap for their teams along with a fantasy team review before the GSP Roundup.  Phil reviews MotoGP/Moto2, WEC, Indy NXT, WSBK (where Garrett Gerloff had a breakthrough round), WRC, SuperMotocross, NHRA, Extreme E, IMSA and Supercars. 
The crew comes back together to preview the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix and who will finish behind Fish Lips, before looking at the triple-header at Bristol and who will advance to the Round of 12 in Cup, start the XFinity playoff on a high and who will start the Round of 8 in Trucks with a win.  Josh lets us know all things going on in the world of gaming in his Sim Segment prior to Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 185 - History Makers

Coming off a holiday weekend, Phil and Josh were ready to go with E185 of the GSP.  Kyle Larson utilized a great pit stop late in the Southern 500 to take his first Cup victory at Darlington.  The guys look at Toyota's domination (specifically Dennis Hamlin), Christopher Bell's pit road issues and Kevin Harvick's missed opportunity to advance.  A review of the playoff drivers and their points standings heading to Kansas led into Dennis Hamlin winning at Darlington for the sixth time in the XFinity Series.  Austin Hill and John Hunter Nemechek were his closest pursuers but Hamlin's one XFinity race provided another trophy.  With one regular season race remaining, Riley Herbst and Parker Kligerman are separated by one point heading to Kansas. 
Alex Palou proved yet again why he was the dominant figure in the NTT IndyCar Series for 2023, using primary tires on the first stint to overcut the alternate runners and win his fifth race of the season at Portland.  Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing earn the series title along with a double podium with Dixon finishing third.  Felix Rosenqvist was sandwiched between the CGR duo, on the weekend he announced his move to Meyer-Shank Racing for 2024.  A newly repaved Laguna Seca welcomes the drivers and teams to end the 2023 season, plus more silly season news.
Carlos Sainz proved he is a Smooth Operator by actually making an F1 race interesting in 2023, for 15 laps.  The usual result took place and Checo eventually advanced to second, but Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc battled for the last podium place.  Drivers and Constructors points get reviewed before Phil and Josh preview their NFL teams and discuss their fantasy football prospects for 2023. 
This weeks GSP Roundup has MotoGP/Moto2, Indy NXT, NHRA at the U.S. Nationals, F2/F3, WSBK returning from their summer break with huge rider news and WEC at Fuji before previews and picks for IndyCar at Laguna Seca and the triple-header for NASCAR at Kansas.  Josh lets us know all things going in iRacing and gaming during his Sim Segment prior to Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 184 - Hard Work Pays Off

Phil and Josh return for E184 of the GSP to lead into a busy Labor Day weekend of motorsports.  Phil returns from spending the majority of his cruise trip in an F1 simulator, wishing he could race instead of having to watch the current F1 product.  Josh was able to attend the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona and see the destruction and horrendous incidents for Ryan Blaney and Ryan Preece. Both Josh and friend of the show Joe Passero watched Christopher Buescher take his third win of 2023 in an RFK 1-2 finish. 
The guys cover the issues and the playoff grid leading into Darlington.  Phil and Josh provide their thoughts on Kurt Busch officially announcing his retirement from racing. Justin Allgaier held off Sheldon Creed in a photo finish for his first Daytona XFinity win along with an opportunity to sneak in and get the regular season title.  Grant Enfinger utilized his experience and a great setup to earn the Truck Series win at the Milwaukee Mile, their first appearance since 2009 along with a spot in the round of eight. 
Scott Dixon continues to show why he is a GOAT with an epic pit strategy in going back to back at Gateway to keep his slim title hopes alive against his teammate Alex Palou.  Phil and Josh discuss the introduction of red alternate tires on an oval for the first time ever and other key players heading to Portland. 
Fish Lips continues his singular demolition of F1 with his third consecutive Dutch GP victory.  Due to the mixed weather conditions, Pierre Gasly benefited to earn Alpine their first podium of 2023.  Drivers and constructors points are reviewed leading into the Italian Grand Prix.  The guys talk about their respective NFL and Fantasy Football teams with the end of the preseason, along with their prognostications for 2023.
This week's GSP Roundup saw Phil discuss Indy NXT, IMSA GT, F2/F3, MotoGP/Moto2 and NHRA at the U.S. Nationals.  Previews and picks for F1 at Monza, IndyCar at Portland plus Cup/XFinity at Darlington led into Josh's Sim Segment before Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 183 - Decision Time & Interview With Austin Theriault

Phil and Josh come back for E183 of the GSP interviewing the 2017 ARCA Series Champion and Maine House of Representative Member Austin Theriault.  The guys talk to Austin about his racing return at the Oxford 250 super late model race and his results at Oxford Plains and his involvement with the Travis Mills Foundation and how this race will assist in fund raising. 
Phil and Josh also ask Austin about his driver development program and connection with Team Hornaday, his NASCAR career in all three major series and his thoughts on the differences in how drivers behave in and out of the race car today relative to when Austin was a prospect himself.  Josh asks Austin about his other role as a House Member for his local district and what how the responsibilities there coordinate with racing.
Phil and Josh then get into the Cup and XFinity events at Watkins Glen, which saw dominant performances for William Byron and Ty Gibbs respectively.  However, the XFinity event had an interesting finish due to the ongoing rivalry between Gibbs and eventual race winner Sam Mayer.  The guys get into the issues with the Next Gen Car and how it has affected the product, the pace of the race itself and what they saw between the two young guns.  Other key players and points are discussed heading to Daytona.
The crew gets into their drafts for the FallBrawl fantasy football league and how they both got the worst grades based on analytics but definitely aren't out of the mix.  Josh discusses injuries and key battles for the Jaguars while Phil laments the continued QB saga behind Brock Purdy for San Francisco.  
A leaner GSP Roundup covers the SRX season finale at Lucas Oil Raceway, NHRA at Brainerd, MotoGP/Moto2 at Austria, Supercars at The Bend, Indy NXT at Gateway, F2 at Zandvoort and IMSA GT at Virginia International Raceway.  Formula 1 returns from their summer break for the Dutch Grand Prix, with Phil and Josh previewing and picking whoever will finish behind FL. 
IndyCar has their last oval race of 2023 at Gateway, so the guys pick whether they believe Josef Newgarden will sweep all of them or not along with wild cards.  NASCAR Cup and XFinity race at Daytona, which means the Tate Fogleman Algorithm makes a return.  The crew make their picks and wild cards while Josh lets us know who TF believes could win at the World's Center of Racing. 
The Craftsman Truck Series returns to the Milwaukee Mile for their second playoff race, so can Ty Majeski make it 2-2 or will one of the other contenders advance? Josh lets us know about all things gaming and iRacing in the Sim Segment before Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 182 - Something About Indy

Phil and Josh return for E182 of the GSP to discuss all the racing at one of the motorsports capitals of the world: Indianapolis.  Scott Dixon does his best Danny Sullivan by spinning and winning the Gallagher Grand Prix over pole-sitter Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard amongst others.  Dixon takes the Ironman title over former teammate Antoine Kanaan and extends his streak to 19 consecutive seasons with a win.  While Dixon celebrated, teammate Alex Palou was in the news stating he will not honor his contract with McLaren and that he is likely to return and race for Ganassi.  The crew goes over all the craziness that has existed with Palou's contract situation and management while he races towards a second IndyCar title.
For the Cup event, Michael McDowell put a whooping on the field and held off William Clyde Elliott II for his second career victory and a spot in the 2023 playoffs.  Daniel Suarez won pole but a bad pit stop cost the Trackhouse driver and the same issue plagued defending race winner Tyler Reddick and his 23XI team.  Keebler Gibbs dominated the XFinity race on Saturday evening after weather affected the early part of the event while Ty Majeski opened the Truck playoffs with a comprehensive victory.
The GSP Roundup looks at Smoke's domination at his house (Eldora) in SRX while an early crash in Heat One eliminated three drivers and the points contenders were rendered to backup cars.  NHRA raced at Topeka for the last time and they move to Brainerd, Indy NXT at IMS saw argy bargy between teammates, Larson destroys the field for his second Knoxville Nationals victory over his buddy Rico Abreu, 11-time winner Donny Schatz and the stout A-Main lineup.  Kenny Schrader won a Pinty's Series event on dirt at 68 years of age!  MotoGP/Moto2 will be back at Austria along with Supercars at The Bend Motorsports Park.
Phil and Josh talk preseason NFL and preview the FallBrawl league before leading into previews of the Cup and XFinity races at Watkins Glen.  Josh talks iRacing and more in his Sim Segment before Show Close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 181 - Repeat Time

Phil and Josh return for E181 of the GSP to cover Kyle Kirkwood and Christopher Buescher's second wins of the 2023 season.  For the IndyCars, Kirkwood used strategy and speed to hold off Scotty McLaughlin and championship leader Alex Palou.  This race was the debut for defending Indy NXT champion Linus Lundqvist for Meyer-Shank Racing, with a Fast 12 qualifying and solid race till it was not.  Compared to the previous two seasons, the race was relatively clean and multiple strategies were at play.
Michigan saw Buescher take his second consecutive victory on a Monday over Martin Truex, Jr. and bring the heritage trophy back to Ford.  Noah Gragson was indefinitely suspended for his social media antics and the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominated Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and Donnie Allison for the 2024 class.  The guys get into their thoughts on all of these items plus the points with just three races remaining in the regular season.  John Hunter Nemechek continues his solid 2023 XFinity campaign, taking his fifth win of the season at MIS.  This was after having issues and argy bargy with teammates Gibbs and Smith. 
The GSP Roundup covers SRX, MotoGP/Moto2, IMSA, WRC, Indy NXT, and NHRA with Anthony Wayne Stewart taking a regional victory at Reading.  Phil and Josh briefly talk about football before previewing the Gallagher Grand Prix of Indy for the IndyCar Series along with picks plus the Cup/XFinity at IMS along with Trucks opening their playoffs at IRP.  Josh lets us know what's going in sim racing in his Sim Segment before show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 180 - Cashing In

After an interesting weekend of motorsports action, the GSP returns for E180.  With Josh on vacation, Phil brought back friend and contributor Joe Passero to co-host and discuss all things NASCAR.  Christopher Buescher locked himself and RFK into the Cup playoffs with a no nonsense performance at Richmond.  The guys discuss Buescher's effort and who could look back with regret.  XFinity raced at Road America and Justin Allgaier had things going his way...until they didn't and the door opened for teammate and Wisconsin's own Sam Mayer to take his first career XFinity victory. 
Carson Hocevar ate the slice of humble pie and has become a contender for the Truck Series title with a late race pass and victory at Richmond to end the regular season.  The typical result took place at Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc rounding out the podium.  Phil provides a points recap as Formula 1 takes their summer break.
The GSP Roundup covers Formula E's season finale in London, Supercars at Eastern Creek, WSBK in the Czech Republic, F2/F3 in Belgium, F1 Academy at Paul Ricard, NHRA's Western Swing closer at Sonoma, SRX, MotoGP/Moto2 at Silverstone, IMSA at Road America, WRC Rally Finland and INDY NXT at Nashville.
Phil previews and makes his picks for the IndyCar Series event at Nashville on the heels of the event becoming the season finale in 2024 before Joe and Phil preview and make picks for the Cup and XFinity events at Michigan International Speedway. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 179 - Repeat

Phil and Josh continue the summer swing with E179 of the GSP, reviewing Josef Newgarden's double victory at Iowa Speedway along with Denny Hamlin's 50th career Cup Series victory at Pocono with a controversial move on Larson.  The guys talk about Penske's dominance on short ovals along with the points situation for JNew and Alex Palou.  In the Cup Series, plenty of argy bargy went on and both Phil and Josh let their feelings be known about the incidents. 
Phil went to Pocono Raceway on the Saturday, so he was able to see Kyle Busch win the 100th race for KBM in Trucks and listen to Austin Hill steal the XFinity win from Josh Berry and JRM before reviewing Lewis Hamilton winning pole at Hungary and getting used up at the start for a typical result. 
The GSP Roundup covers F2/F3, WRC, INDY NXT, IMSA, NHRA, Supercars, WSBK F1 Academy and Formula E before Josh tells us how he feels about Trevor Lawrence being ranked 96th in the Top 100 players in the NFL and a brief talk up on training camp. 
Phil and Josh keep their preview and picks short and sweet for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa before looking at Cup/Trucks at Richmond and XFinity at Road America.  Josh lets us know how his go-karting exploits went last week along with all things gaming in his Sim Segment before Show Close.