Grip Strip Podcast

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 100.5 or 101 - Formula 1 Roundup, Extreme E, Super Bowl, Live ARCA, etc.

Phil and Josh do a weekend edition of the GSP to discuss all the Formula 1 car reveals prior to the first preseason test at Barcelona.  Which cars look the best, what is intriguing about the new changes and what do the guys expect leading up to that session. 
Motorsports GOAT Mario Andretti announced that son Michael will be launching a bid to join Formula 1 in 2024 with his own Andretti Global team.  Phil and Josh cover many details regarding this announcement and what it means in regards to F1 in the US.
One aspect that has more fans interested is Drive to Survive and the crew goes over their experiences with the show and what it has done to dramatize certain events and what that may mean in regards to how last season went especially with certain people being absent. 
Phil covers Extreme E's season opener in Saudi, the crew discusses the Super Bowl, Josh provides details on his upcoming iRacing Daytona 500 appearance.  Phil and Josh recap the Truck race won by Zane Smith and they make picks for the XFinity and Cup events while providing live comments on the ARCA farce. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 100 - Daytona Speedweek, NASCAR Preview and a Milestone

Phil and Josh celebrate a milestone episode of the GSP with special guest Joe Passero of Beyond The Flag/Fansided to discuss all things NASCAR 2022.  The guys go over the Gen7/Next Gen car and all that it brings to the sport along with the issues that may be faced as the Cup teams start this season. 
The crew discusses qualifying live and what to expect during the Duels and race itself.  All three give thoughts on the key players from Chevy, Ford and Toyota as this new season begins.  Along with the Cup Series, the guys cover the XFinity, Trucks and ARCA Series with key players to look at for Daytona and the season too. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 99 - California Dreams and Super Events

Phil and Josh get one step closer to a milestone episode with Clash at the Coliseum coverage and what the NextGen/Gen7 car will bring to the table as the Cup Series gets ready for the Daytona 500.  The guys cover the parts issues, the racing and how sustainable the product is through a 38-week season while going through the good and bad for certain drivers and teams. 
The Roundup consisted of NASCAR Silly Season updates, Formula 1 car launches including one for the driver's title winner, Lando Norris' contract extension and a GOAT returning for another year.  Race of Champions, Formula E Mexico City EPrix preview, MotoGP and WSBK testing all are covered.
Phil and Josh preview the Super Bowl and what it will take for the Bengals or Rams to hoist the Lombardi Trophy while Phil still wonders how the 49ers blew a 10-point lead against the Rams.  Phil covers Anthony Simonsen earning the Triple Crown of bowling at just a month over 25-years old at the US Open after defeating Jason Belmonte and EJ Tackett before Josh's Sim Segment and show close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 98 - Recaps, Previews, and Nonsense

Phil and Josh return for Episode 98 of the GSP to recap the exciting Rolex 24 at Daytona which saw the Meyer-Shank Racing 60 Acura win overall.  The guys cover all the classes and key battles which led to the eventual results before previewing the Clash at the Coliseum for the NASCAR Cup Series.  Will the race be a demo derby or actually be the start of something different in the debut of the Gen 7 race car? 
Phil and Josh recap the NFL Conference Championship weekend while providing a short preview of the Super Bowl game.  After this, they get into the issues with NFL hiring practices regarding minority candidates after Brian Flores sued the league.  Phil and Josh also give their thoughts on Tom Brady officially retiring after his illustrious career. 
The GSP Roundup covers NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, and Formula E before a PBA Players Championship review which saw Jason Belmonte win his 14th major and lead into the US Open in Indianapolis.  As usual, Josh's Sim Segment and Show Close end the program.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 97 - Birthday Time & Rolex 24 Preview

Phil and Josh return for Episode 97 of the GSP to celebrate Phil's birthday live on air.   Phil provides some details and context about what this particular day means for him after wishes from Josh.  The guys breakdown the Rolex 24 at Daytona by car and class along with making picks. 
Phil and Josh go over the NFL Championship Weekend with Phil's 49ers still in and with a chance to advance if they can defeat the L.A. Rams for a third time this season.  They cover all four Divisional round matchups and preview both title games. The guys do the GSP Roundup covering NASCAR Next Gen Testing and other touring series news, IndyCar, F1, Formula E's season opener preview, Supercross, and WRC Rally Monte Carlo recap.
Phil covers the PBA Players Championship regional results and the winners advancing to play for a major title while Josh does his Sim Segment, before show close. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 96 - Charcuterie Board For Motorsports and NFL

Phil and Josh come back for E96 of the GSP to discuss the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona, which will set the qualifying order for the Rolex 24 along with coverage of the Michelin Pilot Challenge and LMP3 action going on this weekend at the World's Center of Speed.  The guys also cover the Chili Bowl and Tanner Thorson taking down three-time Golden Driller winner Christopher Bell in the A-Main.  Many great stories and drivers made the A, even if MAVTV didn't bother to show them. 
 
NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar, Supercross and WRC news and notes got their place before Josh discussed the saga that is the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching/possible GM search.  Phil and Josh go into the Wild Card weekend results including Phil's 49ers almost killing him but coming through and their prospects going to Green Bay and beyond.  The guys preview each game and keys before Josh's Sim Segment and show close.

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 94 - NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Roundtable

Phil and Josh welcome two returning guests to the GSP for the 2021 Cup Series Round-table.  Frontstretch.com writer and former host of Talking in Circles Clayton Caldwell along with PitBoxPress.com writer and social media influencer Phil Spain come back to discuss a number of topics relating to last year's NASCAR Cup season. 
The guys cover Kyle Larson's domination and redemption arc that covered the 2021 season along with the dynamics within Hendrick Motorsports between himself and 2020 champion Chase Elliott.  Hendrick and Gibbs dominated the season last year and the driver makeup of each team stands out for different reasons from last year and for the future.
Ford disappearing from existence for most of the season after coming so close to a title in 2020 was a huge shock but there's plenty of changes coming within the camp going into 2022.  Can the Blue Oval Gang recover and come back with a new car on the line?
The crew discusses Denny Hamlin's greater significance in the sport: as a driver or as a car owner bringing Michael Jordan and many new sponsors to the forefront?  First time winners both in the driver and team category took place in 2021...what did each mean then and now after a while to reflect?  Will some of those teams/drivers continue to have success in 2022?
Finally, the Gen 6 car is looked at with its end being relegated to the XFinity and Truck Series with the usual Good/Bad/Ugly segment. 

Grip Strip Podcast Episode 94.5 - GSP Roundup, NFL Talk and More

Phil and Josh return for a second episode of the Grip Strip Podcast to cover the Roundup including news in IndyCar with the return of Robert Wickens to racing and Conor Daly getting a new sponsor and full-time ride. F1, IMSA, The Chili Bowl, and Dakar Rally results are discussed before getting into the NFL Playoffs and current coaching/GM landscape in the league with Josh's Jaguars looking for one and probably should be looking for both. 
Phil discusses the chances of his 49ers advancing past their long-time rivals in the Dallas Cowboys in their first playoff matchup in 26 years.  Josh goes over iRacing and other things in the Sim Segment before the show closes.

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.