In NASCAR, 36 drivers start and grind their season for that one big shiny trophy at the finish line that captures the essence of victory. The Bill France Cup, renamed in 2019, honors the sport’s founding family. This hefty silver icon, lifted amid roaring crowds, isn’t just hardware; it’s a testament to the grind and sacrifices that define the modern era champions like Joey Logano and Kyle Larson. That beloved trophy deserves to be admired up close, so let’s take a look at what goes into the beauty’s making.

Who designs and crafts the NASCAR Cup Championship Trophy?

The Bill France Cup starts its life in the hands of NASCAR’s in-house design team, who sketch the concepts inspired by the sport’s deep roots, in which sleek and sharp curves echo classic stock cars and engravings that nod to Bill France Sr.‘s legacy.

Once the sketch gets approval from the officials, the design goes straight to Jostens, the Minneapolis-based pros who’ve built the Cup Series’ top prize since 2017. This partnership ensures the trophy stays true to its roots while adding fresh touches, like the season’s track outlines etched into the silver. Jostens brings decades of experience, since he crafts everything from NFL rings to MLB hardware and applies that same expertise here.

Jostens’s team handles the full build, from prototypes to final polish, keeping the height at 22 inches and weight at 18 pounds for that iconic feel. The Bill France Cup represents a seamless blend of NASCAR‘s story with expert execution, making each cup a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

“As the sport ushers in a new era, it’s fitting that my father’s name is associated with the highest mark of excellence in our sport. My father’s and brother’s vision for NASCAR has been realized, many times over, as millions of fans follow and engage each week with the best racing in the world,” NASCAR Chairman Jim France said in a press interview in 2020.

The renaming was a tribute to Bill France Sr., who founded the sport in 1947. This was also a tribute to his son, Bill France Jr., who helped expand the sport, working as chairman from 1972 to 2003.

Yet the real intrigue hides in how it’s built. What goes into that silver glow?

What are the materials, design process & hidden details in the NASCAR Cup Championship Trophy?

The unique shine of the Bill France Cup makes it stand out thanks to high-grade sterling silver for the bowl and stem. Silver was chosen for its durability and that unmistakable shine under those stadium lights. The base? A solid walnut block, engraved with the winner’s name, team, and year, adding a warm contrast to the cool metal.

This combo of silver and walnut isn’t random. Here, Jostens also demonstrates expertise in chemistry. Sterling silver resists tarnish during travel, while walnut evokes the essence of wooden dashes of early race cars.

The process unfolds in stages. It kicks off with a wax prototype molded by hand, then cast in a kiln to form the silver structure, followed by hours of polishing and assembly.

Hidden gems include the subtle NASCAR logo etched inside the bowl, visible only up close, and tiny stabilizer pins that keep it steady on display shelves. These subtle engineering touches prevent wobbles during those nostalgic moments the trophy takes you to when you look at it.

Also, no cups are identical, thanks to custom engravings done post-race, ensuring each winner’s best moment of the season is engraved in the trophy.

How the 2025 NASCAR Cup Championship trophy differs from previous years

For 2025, the Bill France Cup sticks close to its sterling silver blueprint, but a key tweak honors the season’s playoff shake-up. Especially with the base now featuring laser-etched motifs symbolizing the expanded championship weekend at Phoenix, blending tradition with the new format’s intensity.

This subtle tweak to the base, which is still anchored by walnut, marks a shift from pre-2025 versions, where engravings focused solely on winner stats without format flair. As NASCAR is thinking about the format tweak from next year, moving to a more streamlined chase structure, the trophy reflects that by incorporating faint tire-track patterns around the stem for a dynamic edge.

Beyond visuals, the 2025 edition tips the scales at a hair under 18 pounds, thanks to refined casting that makes the trophy a bit less heavy without losing heft, making it easier for drivers to lift during celebrations. Previous cups, like the 2024 model awarded to Logano, lacked these changes.

As covered in recent reports on the format pivot, this evolution keeps the trophy relevant amid NASCAR’s push for bigger fan engagement. It’s a small change, but one that whispers progress in a sport built on speed.

In the end, the Bill France Cup endures as NASCAR’s heartbeat, crafted with care, ever evolving but never losing its original essence. Whether hoisted in 2025 or beyond, it reminds us that true champions are not born; they are made with hard work.