While podium ceremonies are standard practice in series like Formula One and IndyCar, NASCAR has long reserved the spotlight solely for its race winners. That tradition, however, is set to pause next weekend in Mexico, where for the first time following a Cup Series points race, NASCAR will formally recognize the top three finishers with a podium celebration, and Michael McDowell may be the catalyst behind this move.
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Historically, NASCAR has only used podium celebrations in its non-points exhibition Clash events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 to 2024, where the setting paid homage to the Olympic spirit. Drivers were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals for first, second, and third-place, respectively.
During a recent media availability, McDowell, currently driving for Spire Motorsports, revealed that he had pitched the idea of honoring podium finishers to senior NASCAR officials years ago. The upcoming change in Mexico, he hinted, could very well be the first step in bringing that vision to life.
“Well, I love it. I know that that’s not traditionally what our sport has done, but I’m not traditionally from the sport,” McDowell said. “So, I know the value for teams and for partners and for everybody involved to be a part of a podium celebration.
“It’s not victory lane, but it’s close to it. It’s fun to be able to do that and celebrate that as a team. I think that, for me, I’m used to that. That’s what I grew up (doing) — podiums all the way from karting, through open wheel cars and sports cars.”
McDowell added that in NASCAR, finishing second or third can feel like an afterthought, despite strong performances. “I actually brought this up to Ben Kennedy (NASCAR Executive VP) like four or five years ago. And he was like, ‘I kind of like it, but I’m not sure if I love it.’ So maybe this is just the first step to adding a podium, just because of the value it adds,” he said.
#NASCAR will have a podium celebration for the top three finishers in the Xfinity and Cup races this weekend in Mexico. Michael McDowell has a strong take on this idea … pic.twitter.com/xWDB35q0k2
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) June 10, 2025
McDowell believes NASCAR has reached a point where it should embrace traditions that celebrate excellence beyond the winner’s circle, as seen in Formula One, where runner-up efforts, like Carson Hocevar’s recent second-place finish, carry weight and deserve recognition.
Fans have rallied around the idea, calling for more podium festivities at various venues. “Would personally like to see more podiums. More post race festivities, the better. Gives real meaning to 2nd and 3rd. Would actually mean a lot more with a full season points format but that’s another conversation,” one fan noted.
Another added, “Yep, literally no downside to celebrating podiums. Allow people still to be psyched for their driver and raise engagement across the board,” while a third echoed, “I actually love the podium idea. NASCAR is the only major Motorsport that doesn’t have podiums (that I can recall). I don’t really see any negatives.”
A fourth chimed in: “I love this. More fun, more celebrations sounds good to me.”
While podium finishes don’t currently count as official NASCAR statistics, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson lead the series with six top-three finishes apiece in 2025 so far.
