Off the Chain! Racing Podcast

Hoppy Mellow
  • 5.0 (3)
  • SPORTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Buckle up. Off the Chain isn’t your dad’s racing podcast (unless your dad is a total legend). Each week, Hoppy Mellow, Willy "T-Bone" Hadley, and Checky Swags take you deep into all things NASCAR with no PR-approved filters and zero corporate fluff. We talk about all the hottest stories and takes flying around the podcast universe from Gluck to Dale Jr to Denny and then blow 'em out of the water with better takes of our own. Why? Because we're not media, we're fans. And fans know best. Race breakdowns, unhinged debates, ridiculous questions no one else is asking, and the kind of energy you only get when you're Off the Chain. Join the Chain Gang.

  1. 11/05/2025

    The Caution that Killed Christmas (Phoenix) - Episode 229

    The Off the Chain crew closes out the NASCAR season in a blaze of chaos, caffeine, and crushed dreams after Phoenix delivered a gut punch worthy of its own Greek tragedy.  Hoppy is in full emotional meltdown mode over Denny Hamlin’s soul-crushing loss... from “riding off into the sunset” to watching the championship go up in tire smoke after a caution and a bone-headed four-tire call. Checky Swags is equal parts therapist and conspiracy theorist, wondering if Byron’s crew “accidentally” let the air out to help Larson. Meanwhile, Willy T-Bone’s main concern is that his race pool money got vaporized faster than a Goodyear sidewall. They rant about pit strategy malpractice, Goodyear redemption arcs, and NASCAR’s playoff format getting roasted harder than a Martinsville hot dog. There’s talk of fan revolts, lawsuits, Denny’s tears, and Jeff Gluck’s cursed Good Race Poll. It’s part therapy session, part beer-soaked debate, and 100 percent unfiltered heartbreak.

    1h 7m

  2. 10/28/2025

    Byron Bumps Blaney at Martinsville - Episode 228

    The Chain Gang returns from Martin’s Thrill and they’ve still got the campfire smoke, hangovers, and emotional damage to prove it. Hoppy Mellow, Checky Swags, and Willy T-Bone survived another cold-ass Martinsville weekend and are here to tell the tale... Checky opens in full rage mode over William Byron’s vanilla victory and questionable move on Blaney (“he can kiss my ass”), while Willy confesses to using voodoo money in the race pool and claims he’s legally justified under NASCAR Common Law.  Hoppy floats a conspiracy theory so spicy it should come with a warning label: that JGR “blew engines on purpose” to swap in fresh motors for Phoenix... and somehow it actually makes sense. From pit stall socialism and carb-shaming King’s Hawaiian rolls to Byron vs. Blaney lap traffic politics, this one’s got everything: chaos, caffeine, and a whole lot of yelling about points nobody really understands. If you love your NASCAR takes hot, your camping stories questionable, and your playoff math cooked harder than a Martinsville hot dog, this episode is your spiritual home.

    1 hr

  3. 10/21/2025

    Briscoe's Baptism at Talladega - Episode 227

    The Chain Gang is back in full dysfunctional glory for this Talladega recap, and the chaos is flowing faster than Busch Light at a Martinsville tailgate. Hoppy Mellow, Checky Swags, and the prodigal son Willt T. Bone dive into a race that had everything we had hoped: wrecked favorites, Briscoe’s Bass Pro miracle, and enough fuel-mileage confusion to make a pit crew cry. Checky’s in a foul-mouthed fury after cheering for the wrong damn driver (again), Willy drops life advice that boils down to “don’t lay in the road,” and Hoppy questions whether Denny Hamlin’s still haunted by the ghosts of championships past. The gang debates whether Briscoe’s quietly becoming NASCAR’s next blue-collar hero, if Penske’s playoff luck just ran out, and whether Denny would wreck his own grandma for a championship. By the end, they’re plotting their pilgrimage to “Martin’s Thrills,” cursing the cold, and preparing for the kind of short-track fireworks only Martinsville can deliver.

    59 min

  4. 10/14/2025

    The Denny Destiny Tour Stops in Vegas - Episode 226

    This week on Off the Chain, it’s Hoppy Mellow and Checky Swags holding down the fort while Willy T-Bone disappears somewhere west of the Mississippi, probably double-fisting Busch Lights. The Chain Gang dives headfirst into a wild Las Vegas weekend that had it all... Denny Hamlin’s emotional 60th career win, William Byron’s kamikaze collision with Ty Dillon, and one of the most electric Stage 3 finishes in recent memory. Hoppy rants about Jeff Gluck’s “Winston Cup standings” blasphemy, Checky breaks down Denny’s zen-master transformation, and the duo somehow pivot from playoff math to a Family Dollar gunfight over a NASCAR T-shirt. You can’t make this stuff up. We debate whether Denny’s finally entering his championship era or setting up the most gut-wrenching collapse of his career, roast Joey Logano’s playoff luck, and somehow end up pitching a new playoff format NASCAR should probably steal. It’s unfiltered, unhinged, and unapologetically Off the Chain... where the beer’s flat, the takes are spicy, and no one’s waving anyone into pit road.

    1h 10m

  5. 10/08/2025

    You Spin Me Right Round (Roval) - Episode 225

    The Roval turned into a full-blown soap opera on asphalt. Denny Hamlin attracted the drama like a magnet once again, Kyle Busch wrecked again, and Chastain's new hail melon went splat.   The Chain Gang goes off the rails breaking down every chaotic restart, every radio meltdown, and every “did-that-just-happen?” moment. HoppyMellow asks whether Denny needs a therapist or just better luck, Checky Swags dishes out savage race ratings, and Willie T-Bone serves up hot takes with a side of ribeye logic. From missed apexes to missed opportunities, the Roval was NASCAR’s version of a telenovela, and we loved every unhinged minute of it.

    1h 3m

  6. 09/30/2025

    Sireen Dreams in Kansas - Episode 224

    Kansas served up pure chaos and the Chain Gang brought the heat. Chase Elliott pulled a full Batman, storming from 10th to win in a green-white-checkered stunner, while Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace reenacted a dysfunctional family barbecue... complete with door-slamming, finger-flipping, and spilled milk. We break down whether Hamlin should’ve played team owner or lone wolf, why Bubba’s “crowd-the-boss” strategy opened the door for Elliott’s miracle win, and how Toyota managed to turn strength in numbers into a demolition derby. Plus: Zane Smith turned his car into a Matchbox stunt toy, SVG fought through penalties and bad luck to sneak into the top 10, and the gang drops their always-unfiltered race ratings (spoiler: even Willie got soft and went full 90%). If you like your race recaps with ribeye jokes, Batman analogies, and just the right amount of trash talk, this episode’s your happy place

    44 min

  7. 09/23/2025

    Good Enough (New Hampshire) - Episode 223

    Tensions boiled over at New Hampshire as teammates went to war, Brad K. went full kamikaze, and Ryan Blaney quietly punched his ticket to the next round. In this episode, Hoppy, Willy T-Bone, and Checky rip into Ty Gibbs’ boneheaded moves, dissect Brad’s brain-fade divebomb, and debate whether Blaney’s smooth run is the start of another Penske title march.  From tent-camping drama at Loudon to SVG’s underdog rise, we’re serving hot takes, laughs, and just enough chaos to keep you hitting replay. Buckle up, it’s a wild one.

    45 min

  8. 09/16/2025

    A Good Problem to Have (Bristol) - Episode 222

    Bristol brought the chaos, heartbreak, and pure adrenaline. From tire carnage to playoff dreams going up in smoke, this night race had everything. We break down blown toe links, fiery exits, and late-race desperation moves that left drivers stunned and fans on the edge of their seats. Empty grandstands didn’t kill the vibe, this one was electric start to finish.   We talk wrecks that weren’t wrecks, busted DraftKings hopes, and the kind of Bristol drama that makes you love and hate short-track racing in the same breath. If you missed Saturday night under the lights, don’t worry, we’ve got all the raw takes, unfiltered laughs, and just enough Red Bull energy to keep you awake for the wildest cutoff race of the season.

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Buckle up. Off the Chain isn’t your dad’s racing podcast (unless your dad is a total legend). Each week, Hoppy Mellow, Willy "T-Bone" Hadley, and Checky Swags take you deep into all things NASCAR with no PR-approved filters and zero corporate fluff. We talk about all the hottest stories and takes flying around the podcast universe from Gluck to Dale Jr to Denny and then blow 'em out of the water with better takes of our own. Why? Because we're not media, we're fans. And fans know best. Race breakdowns, unhinged debates, ridiculous questions no one else is asking, and the kind of energy you only get when you're Off the Chain. Join the Chain Gang.

Information

  • Creator
    Hoppy Mellow
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    232
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Hoppy Mellow
  • Show Website
    Off the Chain! Racing Podcast