NASCAR to have podium celebration for top three finishers in Cup, Xfinity races in Mexico

For the first time after a Cup points race, NASCAR will honor the top three finishers with a podium celebration next weekend in Mexico.

While podium celebrations are common in other forms of racing, including Formula One and IndyCar, NASCAR celebrates only the winner in its U.S.-based series.

The only time NASCAR has had a podium celebration in Cup was for the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum exhibition races from 2022-24. That was done in a nod to the historic venue having hosted the Olympics. The top three drivers received medals — gold for the winner, silver for second place and bronze for third place.

NASCAR will have podium celebrations for the top three finishers for its Xfinity Series and Cup Series races June 14-15 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. That weekend will represent the first international Cup points race since 1958.

“For this historic weekend, it felt appropriate to recognize the heritage of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and give a nod to the traditional international motorsports celebrations,” NASCAR stated to NBC Sports. “There are currently no plans for podium-style celebrations following the Mexico City event.”

The NASCAR Mexico Series also will have podium finishes after its races June 13-14 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as it does for all its races.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of its fastest tracks this weekend with a trip to Michigan International Speedway.

While podium finishes are not an official statistic for NASCAR, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson each have had the most top-three finishes this season. Both have six in the first 14 Cup points races of the year.

Bell has three wins, two runner-ups and a third-place finish. Larson has three wins, one runner-up and two third-place results.

Denny Hamlin and William Byron are next with five podium results each. Hamlin has two wins, two runner-ups and a third-place finish. Byron has one win, three runner-ups and a third-place result.

Ryan Blaney, who won last weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. completes the top five. He has three podiums, scoring one win, no runner-up results and two third-place finishes.