Door Bumper Clear - 233 – Charlotte ROVAL: Karma 0, Paranoia 1

233 – Charlotte ROVAL: Karma 0, Paranoia 1

10/11/21 • 85 min

1 Listener

Another dramatic NASCAR Cup Series elimination playoff race has the spotters fired up after race weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Brett Griffin and T.J. Majors are in the Bojangles Studio, while Freddie Kraft calls into the show from the Next Gen test at Charlotte Monday morning.

Now that the Round of 8 is set, T.J. talks advancing with Brad Keselowski further than most expected and how the No. 2 team overcame multiple spins on Sunday. Looking ahead to the next three races, Brett asks T.J. to honestly assess the team’s opportunity to advance. Hear who may be favorited moving into the final four races and why there’s no room for error.

Kevin Harvick dished payback to Chase Elliott mid-race at the ROVAL, sending Elliott into the Turn 7 wall. The spotters share their initial reactions to the incident, how the fans reacted and the No. 9 team’s ability to stay on the lead lap. Then as Elliott closed back in on Harvick, Harvick made a mistake that eliminated him from the playoffs. Hear the guys talk about how his plan completely backfired.

After the first incident, the No. 9 team suffered major rear end damage. The bumper cover then hung off the car for numerous laps before flying off to bring out a debris caution. Why didn’t Elliott get the black flag like NASCAR has done to drivers with loose bumper covers in the past? The crew dissects that call and the tweet that the main NASCAR account sent and later deleted after the yellow flag.

Rick Hendrick suggested post-race that NASCAR should now intervene between Elliott and Harvick. Do the spotters agree? They debate and tell us whether they think this rivalry is over, or just getting good. Plus, they predict what to expect between the two in the Round of 8.

As William Byron fought for his playoff life late in the race, Tyler Reddick may have had a hand in costing Byron a shot at the win. Hear what the gang says about how the two raced each other. Martin Truex Jr. hung onto his final playoff spot by a thread late in the going after being spun by Joey Hand, who was making his NASCAR debut. Should drivers be able to make their first start in the playoffs? Hear what the guys have to say.

Then the crew reacts to Graham Rahal’s tweet about the idea of playoffs in racing versus a season-long championship format. Which is better? Why does NASCAR do playoffs? The guys share some insight.

In Reaction Theatre, Kevin Harvick receives no love, someone dares to give Elliott a bold nickname and Christmas caroling starts early.

Then, the team makes Championship 4 predictions for both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series heading into the first race of the Round of 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Plus, hear what experiment Texas is trying in its playoff races this weekend. And is a fan favorite race track coming back to life? Brett has some details.

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In Reaction Theatre, Kevin Harvick receives no love, someone dares to give Elliott a bold nickname and Christmas caroling starts early.

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Previous Episode

232 – Talladega II: A Dream Come True

The celebration is on as Bubba Wallace and Freddie Kraft won their first career NASCAR Cup Series race on Monday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway! Freddie has survived the ongoing celebrations and is coherent enough to talk us through one of the biggest days in his career. Plus, Brett Griffin and T.J. Majors are back from Alabama too and share their takes on the tripleheader of racing.

After a special entrance into the Bojangles Studio, Freddie is surprised by his friends and family leaving heartfelt congratulations messages for him to celebrate the big win. After shedding a few tears, the guys breakdown how the No. 23 team won that race. With rain approaching in Monday’s postponed Cup Series race, every lap could have been the last one. T.J. explains what he was telling Brad Keselowski as he battled up front and Freddie shares the details behind the information he relayed to Wallace. Find out how each of them felt about the winning block that the No. 23 car made to seal the deal. Then, we hear about some of the shenanigans from the party that ensued afterwards.

History was made at Talladega all weekend long, including each race producing a first-time winner. Hear how the guys felt about the Truck Series finish. Plus, find out what Talladega track president Brian Circhton said to the fans about what a winning vehicle at Talladega should look like.

Saturday’s Xfinity Series race was called early due to darkness. How did that happen? Who was responsible for the deciding the start time? What can be done differently to avoid that in the future? And who was technically leading at the time of caution? Get these answers from the crew.

Despite a break in weather late Sunday afternoon at Talladega, no attempt was made to run the race due to NASCAR’s policy of only starting a race if the full distance can be run. Is it time to revisit that policy? Hear the guys explain their ideas on what can be done to get as much of the race in as possible on Sunday.

The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is next on the schedule and playoff eliminations loom. The gang dives into the points drama heading into the Round of 12 finale. Find out what drivers fighting for their championship hopes might have to do on Sunday to stay alive and why it could be chaos.

Jimmie Johnson is completing a rookie test as he eyes an Indianapolis 500 start next season. Should the seven-time NASCAR champion attempt to compete in such a dangerous race this late into his career? The guys weigh in.

A race winning edition of Reaction Theatre did not disappoint this week. Calls include one from Brett’s fan club, another Cup spotter giving Freddie’s babysitters advice, and a new song from our friend Jeb. Plus, the fans are pumped up after seeing Freddie and Bubba win. Lastly, a rap blows the gang away.

Stay tuned for later in the show when Brett makes a big announcement.

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Next Episode

234 – Texas: Bad Blood

Only three races remain in the NASCAR season. Spotters T.J. Majors and Brett Griffin are in the Bojangles Studio to breakdown the weekend of action from Texas Motor Speedway. Hear the guys react to the (too?) long 500-mile afternoon in the Lone Star State, how absent Freddie Kraft’s driver Bubba Wallace contributed to the attrition of the race and where a strong day leads Brad Keselowski and TJ in the playoff standings.

The gang then dives into the continued Kevin Harvick vs Chase Elliott feud. NASCAR spoke to both parties involved last week, warning of serious consequences if their battle continued. Did both drivers abide by that? Should NASCAR be stepping in like this? The guys answer these questions and hear what Harvick said about Elliott post-race on Sunday.

Kyle Busch was not very happy with his performance at Texas, vocally complaining about the racing over the radio. He went as far as sharing NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell’s email over his radio. Find out what the crew thinks about Busch doing this and what repercussions it might have.

Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe exchanged heated comments during Sunday’s race, as contact between the two cut Briscoe’s tire down. Hamlin wasn’t very happy with how he was raced and delivered a fiery jab over the radio. Hear what he said and how their incident from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course race continues to linger.

Following the race, Kyle Busch was asked about the lack of respect on the race track. Busch didn’t hold back in his response, sharing how he believes the younger drivers have negatively impacted the respect shared among competitors. Do the spotters see the same thing in the NASCAR Cup Series? They explain.

During last week’s Next Gen test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, NASCAR confirmed the 2022 aero package. Does the gang agree with even lower horsepower next year? Their responses may surprise you.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps gave strong praise for the Next Gen car last week, saying it will cure-all that currently ails NASCAR. Hear what the guys have to say about that comment and whether or not they think it will happen.

The pre-race drivers meeting is likely an event of the past moving into 2022 and the table believes that is not a good decision. Listen to why the drivers meeting has served a very valuable purpose previously, even if it’s not competition-related.

Charter talk heated up again this week as 23XI Racing’s deal for a second charter fell through. Hear what that says about the current market and how this may impact teams next season. Plus, hear what the spotters would like to see happen to open up the field to more competitors.

In Reaction Theatre, Brett is accused of bias, the guys get into a faster car or fastest driver debate, TJ is warned ahead of Kansas and a sleep aid commercial makes its debut.

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