Grip Strip Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Phil and Josh return for E204 of the GSP to talk about the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs and the teams that advanced to Conference Championship weekend. Also, Phil's Birthday is later this week. The guys go over all the games, the key players and what you need to know after the Ravens, 49ers, Lions and Chiefs earned their wins. Phil definitely was not happy with how the 49ers played and said as such with a tough Lions team heading to Santa Clara. However, the real MVP of the league showed out with two TD's and Brock the "Game Manager" seemingly put the 49ers in position to win. The Bills defense and Josh Allen cannot fade Kermit the Frog in the playoffs...and add a famous singer to the mix too. For the annointed MVP of the season, his Ravens needed to make adjustments before throttling down on the presumptive ROTY in CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. Detroit used their insane home field advantage and strong play from everywhere to advance to their first NFC title game in a long time. For the Motorsports Update, Phil recaps the Dakar Rally where an American couple had a lot to celebrate. It was also a great race for women and a rally legend. SuperMotocross, other key news items and previews of Formula E in Saudi and the Rolex 24 at Daytona also get done. Phil and Josh preview and make their picks for who will advance to the Super Bowl before Josh takes over for the Sim Segment and Show Close.

Phil and Josh return for E203 of the GSP to talk about Super Wild Card Weekend in the NFL and more! Upsets and pathetic showings filled the weekend, with the NFC East getting unceremoniously eliminated in humiliating fashion. The guys cover each game (including the Monday Night game live) and give their thoughts on who advanced and who goes home. On the flip side, Phil and Josh review the coaching and executive carousel, as it stands to grow. Motorsports news covered the Chili Bowl, Dakar Rally, Super Motocross, Formula E's season opener, SRX being postponed but IROC returning, the Roar Before the 24 and anything else that was missed. The guys preview each game for Divisional Round weekend and make their picks on who advances. Josh lets us know all things gaming and sim racing in his Sim Segment before Show Close.

Phil and Josh return for E202 of the GSP to talk plenty of football and some racing too! Josh let us know how his vacation was and attempting to get into CoTA, before Phil talked about the Dakar Rally and the Chili Bowl. The recap of Week 18 possibly saw the angriest and unfiltered that Josh has ever been. Jacksonville's epic collapse and the lack of accountability between coaches and execs drove Josh and Phil even added more fuel to said fire! Phil didn't like the 49ers losing to the Rams, but they are still the one seed in the NFC playoffs without any additional injuries. The guys go through all the games, the coaches who were fired on Black Monday and who could replace them. Phil and Josh preview and make picks for Super Wild Card Weekend prior to the 2024 debut of Josh's Sim Segment prior to Show Close.

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.