Kyle Larson vs Denny Hamlin: Who Wins the Battle for NASCAR Podiums This Season?

A tradition not yet seen in any NASCAR points-paying event will debut this Sunday in Mexico City, where the top three finishers will be honored on a podium. It has not been determined if the tradition will be adopted in domestic races. However, why should that be a hurdle to figuring out which driver would have the most podiums if it were?

And why should that be a hurdle in pitting Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin against each other? Larson, Hamlin, and Christopher Bell have the most top-three finishes in 2025. All three have six in the first 15 races of the season.

Larson has three wins, one runner-up, and two third-place finishes. Hamlin has three wins, two runner-up finishes, and a third-place finish, as does Bell. William Byron follows them with five top-three finishes.

Between Larson and Hamlin, the Hendrick Motorsports star takes the upper hand in the NASCAR points table. He has secured 535 points compared to Hamlin’s 494 after the results at Michigan last Sunday.

Ryan Blaney, who won at the Nashville Superspeedway, completes the top five in this list, with one win and two third-place finishes. Eleven more races remain until the end of the regular season.

Will the podium tradition be followed in the United States?

The only time that NASCAR utilized a podium was for the Clash at the L.A. Coliseum. Otherwise, there has been no particular tradition of celebrating the top three finishers. But now that the sport is moving to international venues, it might be time to adapt to the methods followed in other series such as Formula One.

There could be no harm in honoring those who finish second and third. It’s an accomplishment that any of the drivers who finish lower would love to have. Gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top three finishers would be a nice touch as well, but NASCAR hasn’t confirmed if it will be awarding them after Mexico.

Meanwhile, the battle between Larson, Hamlin, and Bell to be on an actual podium will be a lot hotter on Sunday than it has been all season so far.