The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City will feature a different post-race celebration than the rest of the schedule. The top three finishers will stand on the podium.
Podium celebrations, while common in other sports, do not happen in NASCAR. Only the winning driver celebrates in victory lane. Those who crossed the line in second and third place head to pit road to conduct interviews with TV, radio, and print media members.
This will change this weekend in Mexico City. NASCAR will honor the top three drivers in the Cup Series race. The sanctioning body will also do so for those who compete in the first Xfinity Series race in Mexico City since the 2008 season.
"The promoters, they know what they're doing," Daniel Suarez told media members at Michigan International Speedway. "They know what their audience likes. So I don't hate it, especially because the way that it's going to be in the middle of the stadium.
"I think that area is super beautiful. There's going to be 30,000 people watching the podium, 15,000 on each side. I think that's going to be huge. Definitely something different for us. We are going to feel a little bit different."
The podium is not necessarily new in NASCAR; it just hasn't been part of a points-paying race celebration. NASCAR actually used the podium to celebrate the top three finishers after the Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2023 and '24. Jostens produced gold, silver, and bronze medals, which Ben Kennedy awarded to the drivers.
Martin Truex Jr. won the gold in 2023 with Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch locking up silver and bronze, respectively. One year later, Denny Hamlin won the gold. Busch won the silver while Ryan Blaney won the bronze.
Winning silver and bronze in an exhibition event is significantly different than doing so in a points-paying race. The winner of the Clash doesn't lock up a playoff spot, but the winner of the Mexico City race could.
Will the points-paying aspect change how the drivers feel about standing on the podium?
"It all depends how the race goes," Suarez said. "It depends how I use my car. If my car was the fastest the entire weekend and I finished second, I'm going to be very pissed off. But if my car was average and I managed and we executed an amazing race and we finished second, it all depends. It all depends.
"But overall, listen, I'm super excited, regardless of what happens on Sunday. I'm super excited for the event (in Mexico City). I'm super excited to live the moment because the first time is going to only happen once."