EP 2102: Brett McMillan and Brad Gillie welcome Reid Spencer and Jordan Bianchi

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The O'Reilly Auto Parts Pit Reporters
EP 2102: Brett McMillan and Brad Gillie welcome Reid Spencer and Jordan Bianchi
January 5, 2021
Brett McMillan and Brad Gillie welcome Reid Spencer of the NASCAR Wire Service, and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic
Date Name
11/30/21 EP 2149: Nashville Fairgrounds Returns to the Cup Schedule. Is that a good thing? The Nashville Fairgrounds appears to be on a return to the NASCAR schedule. Brett is joined by Bruce Martin and Rob Albright.
11/24/21 EP 2148: Practice and Qualifying are Back! Practice and Qualifying are back. Is that a good thing? Brett McMillan is joined tonight by Ashley Stroehlein of WCNC and Chris Knight of Catchfence.com.
11/17/21 EP 2147: The Champion is Touring the Coliseum - Where Next Season Starts The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion is out touring the Coliseum - not "The Last Great Coliseum" - but the one in California where next season starts. Brett McMillan welcomes Kelly Crandall of Racer.com, and Alan Cavanna of The Positive Regression podcast.
11/10/21 EP 2146: Ten Victories in 2021 and the Championship to Boot! Ten victories and the championship to boot: Kyle Larson’s maiden run with Hendrick Motorsports couldn’t have been any better. Brett McMillan recaps the 2021 season with FS1’s Jamie Little and Tom Jensen from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as we look back on a dominant season being capped with the title in the playoffs. During this episode, we also discuss Austin Cindric’s post-race grace, which teams could have an early edge with the NextGen and what Speedway Motorsports’ acquisition of Dover and Nashville could mean for the 2023 schedule.
11/03/21 EP 2145: Will the Best Regular Season Team Win the Championship? Is this the year the best regular season team finally wins the title? Brett McMillan is joined by NBC’s Dustin Long and Alex Andrejev of the Charlotte Observer to preview championship weekend at Phoenix! Was Alex Bowman’s decision to dump Denny bad etiquette, or is everything fair in short track racing? Denny interrupted Bowman’s celebration and Alex tells us why she felt it wasn’t the right choice, and we break down the Xfinity Series finale -- is it possible someone other than Austin Cindric or AJ Allmendinger wins it?
10/27/21 EP 2144: One Race Left Before the Championship It all comes down to this: Playoff drivers have one last chance to punch their ticket to the championship round at Phoenix! Brett McMillan welcomes Jerry Jordan from KickinTheTires.net and NASCAR.com’s Chase Wilhelm to preview the penultimate race of the season. There’s still three spots up for grabs but all three Team Penske drivers are below the cut line. Is there any chance they get multiple drivers in the finale, or will it be a Team Hendrick vs Gibbs at Phoenix?
10/19/21 EP 2143: In Texas, Kyle Larson Earns His Place in the Finals Kyle Larson locked up one spot in the championship round. Who will join him? Brett McMillan is joined by Jeff Hammond from SiriusXM and The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi to discuss the Texas weekend and what title contenders are in trouble heading to Kansas! After a grueling day at Texas, should we put 500-mile races on the shelf, and how long will it be until Hendrick Motorsports becomes every man for himself?
10/13/21 EP 2142: Larson Advances by Winning for a Seventh Time The old saying in the playoffs is survive and advance. Well, Kyle Larson did one better by winning at the ROVAL to affirm his dominance in 2021. Brett McMillan is joined by Jeff Gluck from The Athletic and Reuters reporter Lewis Franck to discuss the Elliott-Harvick dustup, if there’s any way Kyle Larson misses the championship round and debate which organization has the best shot to bring home the big prize in Phoenix.
10/06/21 EP 2141: Talladega Delivers a Piece of NASCAR History Three first-time winners, a piece of NASCAR history and an absolute free-for-all in the playoffs. After Talladega, what more could you ask for?! Brett McMillan is joined by PRN turn announcer Rob Albright and Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal to break down the significance of Bubba Wallace’s win, the future of 23XI with Kurt Busch mentoring Bubba and what’s sure to be an exciting weekend at Charlotte’s Roval as we trim the playoff field again.
09/29/21 EP 2140: Hamlin Gets to Relax in Talladega - But Will He? A win in Vegas means Denny Hamlin can relax at Talladega, but will he? Brett McMillan is joined by Lee Spencer from Racinboys.com and Reid Spencer of the NASCAR Wire Service to discuss Kyle Larson’s missed opportunity and if it could cost him with the unknowns of Talladega and the Roval looming. Plus, we discuss the playoff battles in the Xfinity and Truck Series after a couple of non-playoff contenders won in Las Vegas.
09/22/21 EP 2139: What Does NASCAR Do for an Encore After Bristol? So, what does NASCAR do for an encore after Bristol? Las Vegas may be the perfect place to find out. Brett McMillan welcomes Vince Welch of Fox Sports, and Nate Ryan of NBC Sports.
09/15/21 EP 2138: If You Thought Darlington Was Unpredictable - Wait Till Bristol! Here we are at the end of Round 1, and if you thought Darlington was unpredictable, wait until you see Bristol! Brett McMillan is joined by Chris Knight from Catchfence.com and Charlotte Observer writer Alex Andrejev to discuss Martin Truex and Toyota’s domination at Richmond and look ahead to the chaos that is the Bristol night race! Plus, we discuss the 2022 schedule and new venues in Cup, including the Los Angeles Coliseum and the new-look Busch Clash!
09/08/21 EP 2137: Jordan Bianchi and Tom Jensen join host Brett McMillan One race into the playoffs and brackets aren’t busted but the standings were reshuffled! The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi and Tom Jensen of the NASCAR Hall of Fame join Brett Jensen for this week’s show. With stages and two full races left before the first cut, is it too early to panic if you’re below the cut line? And on the other end, can drivers who had a good night at Darlington fall victim to getting too comfortable?
09/01/21 EP 2136: The Cup Playoffs Begin! Now what can we expect? The field is set and it’s time for the Cup playoffs to begin: What can we expect? Brett McMillan welcomes Kelly Crandal from Racer.com and The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck to preview the 10-race run to the championship! After seeing what happened to Kevin Harvick last year, Jeff says he isn’t considering Kyle Larson a lock to reach the championship round. Plus, Kelly addresses the rumors surrounding the future of Front Row Motorsports and where that new 23XI charter could come from.
08/25/21 EP 2135: One More Race In the Regular Season - Still Much to be Decided There's one more race in the regular season, and still much to be decided. Brett McMillan welcomes Bruce Martin of Speed Sport, and Jim Utter of Motorsport.com.
08/18/21 EP 2134: Is Your Enthusiasm for Road Course Racing Curbed after Indy? Is your enthusiasm for racing curbed after a rough weekend at Indianapolis? Brett McMillan is joined by Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports and NASCAR.com’s Chase Wilhelm to grade the Verizon 200 at IMS. Was the carnage too much for another go, or will this year’s race be a great learning experience for future events? Plus, Bob explains why Matt Kaulig’s sudden rise to Cup Series ownership could be more successful than many new teams, and we discuss rumors about Denny Hamlin looking to buy at least one charter from Front Row Motorsports to expand 23XI’s footprint.
08/11/21 EP 2133: When is The Brickyard Not the Brickyard? NASCAR is going back to Indy but when is the Brickyard no longer the Brickyard? Brett McMillan is joined by NBC’s Dustin Long and Jamie Little of Fox Sports as we look ahead to the final three races in the regular season. Has Chase Elliott finally met his match on road courses in Kyle Larson? Speaking of Larson, what’s behind his road racing prowess? Jamie and Dustin agree his early career struggles might’ve been the best preparation for a ride with Hendrick. And finally, we’re getting a NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader: Will this be the wave of the future?
08/04/21 EP 2132: NASCAR Heads to the Glenn. Brett McMillan, Lewis Franck, Jerry Jordan Good news for fans of the watermelon man: Ross Chastain has a new deal with a new team! Brett McMillan is joined by Lewis Franck of Reuters and KickinTheTires.net’s Jerry Jordan to discuss Chastain’s move to Trackhouse and why it may or may not work. Jerry tells us why Brad Keselowski’s jump to ownership is a logical step for the former champion and we look ahead to the annual trip to Watkins Glen.
07/28/21 EP 2131: Mid Season Evaluation: Lee Spencer, Reid Spencer, Brett McMillan With the Olympic break upon us, Lee Spencer of Racinboys.com and Reid Spencer of the NASCAR Wire Service join Brett McMillan for a review of the season thus far.
07/23/21 EP 2130: Keswlowski Goes Into Ownership Brad Keselowski is going to NASCAR ownership and Aric Almirola’s going to the playoffs, but only one of those is a surprise! Brett McMillan is joined by John Roberts from SiriusXM and Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic to discuss Keselowski’s future as an owner/driver and what this could mean for the remainder of Jack Roush’s hall of fame career. The shakeup at Team Penske brought big changes to the Wood Brothers, who are putting Harrison Burton in their car next season. Is that a surprise? And what’s next for Matt DiBenedetto?