Podium Pop Visits – F-R Racing Insider

On this week’s F-R Racing’s Insider, we’re joined by Gracie and Celine of the Podium Pop Podcast. Gracie and Celine host a weekly podcast called Podium Pop and discuss the world of Formula 1, IMSA, IndyCar and NASCAR. We’re excited this week to release the 2026 IndyCar season preview featuring the duo from Podium Pop!

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2026 IndyCar Season Preview with Podium Pop Podcast | Garage Talk

On this week’s episode of F-R Racing’s Garage Talk we are joined by Gracie and Celine from the  @PodiumPop  Podcast for a special 2026 IndyCar Preview show. We kick off the show looking at the driver changes this season including Will Power moving to Andretti, Mick Schumacher driving for RLL, and more! In addition, we look at the schedule including dual weekends with the Craftsman Truck Series at St Petersburg and with the O’Reilly and Cup Series at Phoenix. Does NASCAR and IndyCar need to put aside their differences and work together if they stand a chance to fight off the surging popularity of Formula 1? We also get into the IndyNXT series and how televising the races on FOX show that ladder into IndyCar and development.

Next, we get into the addition of the race at Phoenix Raceway and the loss of Iowa Speedway. What went wrong with Iowa? A lot. We discuss. A common theme is advertising and promoting events has been a major issue with IndyCar and attendance at the races. What can they do to bring the fans in? We also get into the concept of IndyCar storytelling and creating stars in the sport. This is a common topic we’ve discussed a ton on this show and we look to get Gracie and Celine’s take on the matter. Thanks again to Gracie and Celine for stopping by and hanging with us!

Key Episode Moments

• 00:00 – Show Intro & Guest Introductions
• 06:11 – Biggest 2026 Driver Changes Discussion
• 12:22 – Mick Schumacher & Rookie Expectations
• 18:33 – NASCAR/IndyCar Doubleheader Debate
• 24:44 – Truck Series, New Fans, and Crossover Appeal
• 30:55 – Indy NXT Visibility & Young Driver Promotion
• 37:06 – 2026 Schedule Changes & Track Additions
• 43:17 – Marketing, TV Deals, and Fan Growth Challenges
• 49:28 – Star Power Problem in IndyCar
• 55:39 – Podcast Growth, Social Media, and Closing Plugs

iRacing Race Recaps, Writing a Paper w/ ChatGPT, Daytona 500 Preview – F-R Racing's Garage Talk

On this week's episode of F-R Racing's Garage Talk we official unveil the next step in our "idiot evolution", our cartooned versions of ourselves. FOX isn't going to do it anymore on NASCAR broadcasts, but we will!We start off the show discussing our week of iRacing featuring the first race of the new season of Bottom Split Racing Series at Chicagoland and our P2 and P4 finish. We then move on and discuss our adventure at Talladega on Wednesday Night Dash.Next we get into our off topic segment and talk about memorizing prepositions in school and how the "kids today" are getting in trouble for having ChatGPT write papers for them. We wanted to test it out so we had ChatGPT write a paper for us on the history of coffee mugs. How did the report turn out? You'll have to watch.Finally, we recap qualifying and the Daytona duels coming into this weekend's Daytona 500. Casey Mears snuck his way in with the Garage 66 car and we talk about our predictions for the season with the new playoff/chase format.⏱️⏱️EPISODE CHAPTERS⏱️⏱️:00:00:00 – iRacing Bottom Split Series Recap and Tire Saving Strategies00:06:00 – Avoiding Chaos: Racecraft, Tire Management, and Surviving Overtime Finishes00:12:00 – Understanding iRacing Scoring (or lack of), Cautions, and Post-Race Confusion00:18:00 – Garage Talk Rebrand, League Branding, and Wednesday Night Dash Preview00:24:00 – Wednesday Night Dash Stats, Trivia, and Notable Drivers in the League00:30:00 – History of Coffee Mugs: Let's write a paper with ChatGPT!00:36:00 – Memorization in School, Prepositions, and Education System Reflections00:42:00 – NASCAR Duels Recap, Daytona 500 Memories, and Dale Earnhardt Legacy00:48:00 – Racing Safety Innovations: Safer Barriers, HANS Device, and Driver Protection00:54:00 – 2026 NASCAR Predictions, Indy Racing World Series, and Generational Humor———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bottom Split Racing Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ returns February 9, 2026!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wednesday Night Dash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ returns January 7, 2026!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Indy Racing World Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ returns February 24, 2026!Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠F-R Racing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on social media.Affiliate Links:  Today's episode is powered by Extreme SimRacing.  For your best selection of Sim Racing rigs/stands, Simagic Racing Wheels/Pedals, and Mods for your Logitech series racing wheels, they have a selection of the highest quality.  We're proud customers of Extreme Sim Racing.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more at F-R Racing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We also want to shout out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nixon Watches⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. In this episode, D.J. shows off his new Time Teller, a good looking and affordable watch available now!

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Wednesday Night Dash iRacing League Update

Race: Brickyard 112.5 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway Replay

Winner: Hunter Hughes

Next Race: February 25th from Kentucky Speedway 10 pm ET, only on Stadium Scene TV

Indy Racing World Series iRacing IndyCar League Update

Race: Hoosier 250 From Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Replay) and Replay Part 2

Winner: Matthew Faust (Season Champion)

Next Race: February 24, 2026 only on Stadium Scene TV

Season Notes: Want to race IndyCars on Tuesday night? Come join us for Indy and get locked in for next season: register here.

Bottom Split Racing Series

Race: Round 1 – Chicagoland Speedway (Replay)

Winner: Garrett Jarnagin (P2 for Erik!)

Next Race: Round 2 – Talladega Speedway, February 23rd, only on Stadium Scene TV

REGISTER HERE

F-R Racing’s GT Sprint Series

We run a monthly race from 11 pm-12 am ET on Fridays throughout the year in preparation for the official iRacing endurance events. It’s free to join, no standings kept, open config, and no iRating limits. Learn more here.

Ready to join us? Drop into our Discord and let us you’re here for the Friday night GT race!

Last Race: Daytona Sprint (Replay)

Next Race: March 13th from Sebring – 11pm ET only on Stadium Scene TV

F-R Racing Updates

Check out what else is going on at F-R Racing:

• About F1 Academy on F1 TV
• Updating your gaming PC to Windows 11 for iRacing
• Learn how to reduce your iRacing costs

Merchandise Store

We have some new products in the F-R Racing merch store! Go check them out:

2026 F-R Racing Endurance Team T-Shirt

This t-shirt is everything you’ve dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It’s comfortable and flattering for all.

$21.50 – $22.99Price range: $21.50 through $22.99

Shop now