Grip Strip Podcast

Phil starts Season Five of the GSP with a solo show but Josh will be back from vacation soon.  Phil talks about his holiday and some of the important changes that have taken place in his life.  On the motorsports side, Phil provides a Dakar Rally preview, an early glimpse into the Chili Bowl entry list and the Rolex 24 confirmed lineup.  Other major news updates in the world of racing are covered as well.

For the NFL, Phil gets into the playoff permutations heading into Week 18 along with the situation for the 49ers and Jaguars.  With the end of the season comes Black Monday and who might be in the market for a new Head Coach.  Finally, Phil gives his motivations and wishes as his birthday month begins before the Show Close.

Phil and Josh return to close out the 2023 GSP Season, providing plenty of motorsports and NFL content.  The guys go over all the news in the world of motorsports, along with their favorite moments from this year on the show.  They also make too early predictions for champions in NASCAR, IndyCar and F1.  

NFL Week 15 saw varying results for Phil and Josh related to their actual teams, while Phil begrudgingly had to give credit to Josh for his victory in the quarterfinals of the FallBrawl league.  However, Phil still has two chances at fantasy football glory in 2023.  They also talk about the playoff situation with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

Josh gives us his last Sim Segment of 2023 before we go off for a needed break and wish everyone Happy Holidays.  

Phil and Josh return for episode Travis Pastrana of the GSP to talk about the major news of Tony Stewart taking over his wife Leah Pruett's Top Fuel ride because they are going to start a family.  For Smoke, what are the expectations after he finished second in Top Alcohol Dragster points and Leah finished third in Top Fuel in 2023?  Who else can compare to Tony regarding this massive career move? 

IndyCar continues to stub their toes with the hybrid system being delayed till after the Indianapolis 500.  Also, Honda came out and threatened to leave the series after 32 years if costs aren't brought down and a third manufacturer comes in to lighten the supply load. 

The guys go over the constant losses IndyCar seems to have while they have the best racing product in major US motorsports and why this is a long time trend.  If Honda leaves, where does the Penske group go for additional manufacturers since many OEM's are in IMSA/WEC?

The crew goes over major news stories in the world of motorsports before recapping NFL Week 14 for their real and fantasy squads.  Phil and Josh are facing each other in the quarterfinals of the FallBrawl league after battling back from difficulties earlier in the season.  Josh lets us know everything going on in gaming in his Sim Segment prior to the Show Close.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.