Five to Go

Episode 338: Hypocrisy and and misunderstanding in the format outrage

Five to Go
Episode 338: Hypocrisy and and misunderstanding in the format outrage
November 9, 2025
Doug, Devin, and Dan review the championship races in Phoenix and get to the heart of the outrage and misunderstanding that some people have with Hamlin's heartbreak and Larson's surprising Championship win. They also discuss Silly Season and the increase next year of Cup drivers in lower series races.
Date Name
11/09/25 Episode 338: Hypocrisy and and misunderstanding in the format outrage Doug, Devin, and Dan review the championship races in Phoenix and get to the heart of the outrage and misunderstanding that some people have with Hamlin's heartbreak and Larson's surprising Championship win. They also discuss Silly Season and the increase next year of Cup drivers in lower series races.
10/29/25 Episode 337: Throw a blanket over the Cup-four, young spinners Doug, Dan, and Devin break down William Byron's dominant, clutch Martinsville win and detail what this means for Byron and Larson in Phoenix. The crew also gives their championship picks, previews championship weekend, and shares an interesting wrinkle in the Xfinity Series title. They also talk about young drivers hurting their futures and what info is missing to really drive the lawsuit narrative.
10/22/25 Episode 336: Playoff cutoff trends, Martinsville difficulties Doug, Devin, and Dan recap Chase Briscoe's Talladega win and how the tables turned for Penske. Devin also compares Talladega's crowd-energy in the stands to last year and analyzes the Playoff bubble now versus past years in this format. Dan shares why he would not want to run Martinsville or Talladega as a Playoff driver and what he plans to do at the annual Dawsonville Mountain Moonshine Festival this weekend. The crew also breaks down some Silly Season news and reasons why F1's Apple TV deal could be problematic.
10/16/25 Episode 335: Heartfelt Hamlin and a deep dive on race manipulation Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss Hamlin's emotional triumph in Vegas and why win 60 hit differently. They also talk about the trickiness in the Ty Dillon vs. William Byron crash and why "must win" is premature. Then they give their opinions on NASCAR's officiating of race manipulation and why that is so difficult. They also preview Talladega, including the surprisingly good driver there in the Gen-7 era.
10/09/25 Episode 334: What people are missing in reviewing the Roval Doug, Dan, and Devin sum up the Roval cutoff race from Charlotte and why Shane van Gisbergen's dominant win and Ross Chastain's Playoffs loss are both misunderstood. They also preview Vegas and give their shot-in-the-dark Playoff predictions.
09/25/25 Episode 332: Race craft, conflict, modern crew chiefs Doug, Devin, and Dan give their highs and lows from New Hampshire and why Ryan Blaney was already an elite performer before his dominant win. They also break down where both Hamlin and Gibbs went wrong in their conflict and why Gibbs needs to work on his race craft. They then explore the idea of third teams weakening organizations and preview Kansas. And Dan Elliott also asks what a modern crew chief's role is, as Trackhouse poaches Randall Burnett for Connor Zilisch.
09/20/25 Episode 331: Bell, Bris-tires, and Dan's radio hacks Doug, Devin, and Dan dissect the surprise tire wear fest won by Christopher Bell at Bristol last weekend. They each share their biggest high and low from the race weekend and Doug and Devin share the comments they heard from drivers and teams while they were on pit road and in the garage. Then they preview New Hampshire and discuss how difficult finding standout drivers is, along with Dan Elliott's funny story on fans hacking radios.
09/10/25 Episode 330: Bandwagons, deadweight at Gateway; cheers to Rob Albright Doug, Dan, and Devin share their biggest Cup Series takes from Worldwide Technology (Gateway) Raceway: Hamlin's bandwagon to the championship, if Hendrick rebounded, and the strategy that changed the race. They also predict how the Playoff drivers below the cut line will fair in Bristol and discuss safety in post-race celebrations. The crew also discusses enforcing post-race weight-drops and what drove the Hass Factory Team switch to Chevy. And Doug gives a toast to longtime PRN announcer Rob Albright, who calls his last race this weekend in Bristol...with a divine twist.
08/14/25 Episode 326: SVG shines during "Austin Hill Summer" Doug, Devin, and Dan discuss what made SVG dominant in Watkins Glen both Saturday and Sunday and the differences that Dan noticed in the gearing of Van Gisbergen's Cup car on pit road. They also talk about Connor Zilisch's Victory Lane spill and how drivers bounce back from injuries, why Austin Hill was just racing, and the Playoff bubble in all three NASCAR series. They also discuss the weird mid-season driver changes (again) in the Craftsman Truck Series and preview Richmond. And Dan remembers a race fan who hexed drivers who did not sign autographs.
08/08/25 Episode 325: Strategy vs. passing: Dan Elliott has some ideas Doug, Dan, and Devin break down William Byron's fuel-stretching, overdue win at Iowa Speedway and how one team owner almost hurt his teammates' Playoff chances. They also discuss the strange dismissal of Kaden Honeycutt and another yellow flag foible. Dan Elliott gets fired up about strategy's increasing importance in Cup racing and pays dues to former Elliott/Melling crew member Johnny Brown. Devin Kupka also remembers his grandfather. And the crew also celebrates the most recent Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductees: Mike Helton, Ethel Flock Mobley, Fulmer Lance, Bob Morris, and Johnny Thomas.
08/01/25 Episode 324: The best Indy race last weekend and NASCAR staying classy in a new place Doug, Dan, and Devin recap the weekend that was in Indy, including in-depth analysis from Devin, who attended every race. They discuss the breakthrough for Bubba Wallace, Austin Hill's bad behavior, Denny Hamlin's twilight contract, and NASCAR's move to San Diego in 2026. They also sift through the ramifications of FOX buying into Indy owner Penske Entertainment and what Dan and Devin think will happen in the near future for NASCAR because of it.
07/24/25 Episode 323: Old man Hamlin guts out Dover over Elliott Doug, Devin, and Dan do their first-ever livestream right after the Dover Motor Speedway Cup race and discuss how Hamlin survived a red flag and several late restarts to win his 58th-career race. They also talk about how Chase Elliott dominated and lost, the strategy calls that won and lost the race, and how tough passing was. They also preview the Brickyard and stew over the latest team losses in the antitrust suit. And the crew remembers NASCAR champ and Georgia resident Rex White.
07/16/25 Episode 322: Pump the brakes with all that GOAT talk...for now Following another SVG beat down on a road course, Doug, Devin, and Dan break down the Cup Series Sonoma race and the Playoff implications for Van Gisbergen. They also discuss the real dangers of pit road and also the Ty Gibbs nothing-burger. They chew on the what-ifs of 23X1 and FRM losing their charters and how Chris Buescher seems to be racing differently under pressure. And they preview Dover and the In-Season Tournament's remaining drivers.
07/09/25 Episode 321: Could the FIA fix a perceived NASCAR caution problem? Doug, Devin, and Dan break down SVG's Chicago street course dominance and the drivers that had some sour days in the Windy City. They also talk about the caution controversy at the race's finish, if FIA-compliance could even help the sport in the anti-trust suit, and why Devin thinks the finish was consistent. They also talk about track safety, the anarchy in the in-season tournament, and preview more road racing in Sonoma.
07/02/25 Episode 320: Elliott. EchoPark. Classic. Doug, Devin, and Dan dig deep on Chase Elliott's breakthrough win in Atlanta, discuss why this race had such frenzied complexion, and say where they would like EPS' second race on the schedule to be. They also discuss the domino effects of Daniel Suarez's departure from Trackhouse and what Legacy MC and the sale of Rick Ware Racing have to do with it. Then they preview the Chicago Street Race and remember Daytona 500-winning car owner Larry McClure.
06/26/25 Episode 319: Taking a load off before one of the year's biggest races Dan, Devin, and Doug recap Chase Briscoe's maiden JGR win at Pocono and Dan shares how the 1980s strategy was way different and he relates to Briscoe's relief at winning. The guys also discuss street racing and a new stadium race rumor, along with their nearly blind picks to win the In-Season Tournament. Then they preview Echo Park Speedway and explain why this is the most exciting track on the schedule.
06/19/25 Episode 318: Mexico City and road courses' place in NASCAR's future With Dan Elliott away, Doug Turnbull and Devin Kupka discuss Shane Van Gisbergen's dominant Mexico City win and NASCAR's success south of the border. They also talk about Daniel Suarez's Mexico win and how the incident that led to it can play into his future. They also discuss the Curious Case of Carson Hocevar and what his mistakes could cost him, NASCAR demographics, and how street racing factors into the sport's future. And they preview Pocono, as all three series are in action.
06/05/25 Episode 316: Iconic name change and the separation of church and state Doug, Dan, and Devin get into all sorts of news stories, including Blaney's Nashville breakthrough and the strategy that won it for him. They also discuss the Atlanta Motor Speedway name change, Jim France's reported broken deal to put a driver in a Cup car, and the debate over Kurt Busch making the NASCAR Hall of Fame. They also discuss the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame's inductees, strange Mexico provisionals, and the weekend ahead for NASCAR in Michigan.
05/29/25 Episode 315: Mega show for a mega race day and epic wins Doug and Dan hear Devin's take from the track at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. And they break down Ross Chastain's expert move to take the race from Byron, the mood around Larson's stunted double, Palou's "blink of an eye" winning move, expensive pit equipment, and what F1 fans just don't understand.
05/22/25 Episode 314: Put the gripes on ice, the helicopter egg drop Doug, Dan, and Devin discuss the North Wilkesboro All-Star Race and if Joey Logano had legitimate complaints about Christopher Bell afterwards. They also talk about why the cars raced better, future All-Star Race ideas, and the impressive No. 71 Pit Crew Challenge win. Dan also recalls the Gresham Motorsports Park helicopter egg drop and how it could have gone really badly.