Time to add a little grandeur to NASCAR’s new venture. In less than two weeks, the Cup Series will head offshore into Mexico for its first international points-paying event since 1958. Preparations are under full swing for the June 15th race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, which already hosts a Formula One Grand Prix race. As NASCAR heads into its European counterpart’s waters, it is adopting an F1-centric tradition.

In the open-wheel racing series, the podium finishers are awarded grandly. Mimicking the Olympics, Formula One hands out medals to the winner, runner-up finisher, and third-place finisher on a podium. That tradition has impressed NASCAR for its Mexico debut, as it looks to adopt the tradition for its historic event.

An Olympian taste for a grand NASCAR event

Well, the stock car racing series has already followed this Olympian style. Between 2022-24, the Clash at the Coliseum races in Los Angeles witnessed podium celebrations. The medals were custom-crafted keepsakes featuring the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum logo beautifully embossed on one side. The medal ceremony took place on a podium located beneath the Olympic Cauldron at the Coliseum. That grand ceremony elicited swooning praises from fans then. And now, NASCAR is gearing up for another regal awarding event in Mexico City. Taking a leaf from F1 celebrations, the sanctioning body is introducing podium celebrations for the first time in a Cup Series points event.

Journalist Dustin Long dropped an X post updating about this news. NASCAR will hold podium celebrations for the top three finishers in its Xfinity Series and Cup Series races June 14-15 at the Mexico City racetrack. NASCAR told NBC Sports, “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. There are currently no plans for podium-style celebrations following the Mexico City event.”

Podium finishes may not be an official statistic for NASCAR. However, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson dominate the number of top-three finishes this 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. Along with the top contenders, NASCAR will allow two additional entries for the Xfinity race at Mexico City, expanding the field to as many as 40 cars. Called the International Provisional, this is the same as the Open Exemption Provisional rule, implemented back in the Daytona 500 this year, allowing IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves to race. Teams availing of this would not receive prize money, playoff points, or other credits.

Well, if we’re talking about international traditions, we must also take a look at the international driver who has a shot at creating history in Mexico. Shane van Gisbergen, the Trackhouse Racing #88, has not had the best rookie season, but we all know how good he is at road courses with his Xfinity wins and debut Cup win at Chicago. A win, or even a podium finish, at Mexico City would be a huge confidence booster for the Kiwi, who will look at road courses as a ticket to the playoffs.

In adopting the brand-new podium celebration, NASCAR has come a step closer to being similar to F1. However, the latter has a cool feature of its Victory Lane celebration that makes things grander.

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Spraying themselves with the good stuff

Well, even NASCAR has a tradition of popping a good bottle. After a driver reaches Victory Lane, his team members surprise him with a good bottle of champagne. But what Formula One drivers have established on their podium celebrations may be the most iconic. For the last four seasons, drivers used sparkling wine. But for 2025, champagne is back on the podium courtesy of Moët & Chandon, based out of Epernay in France’s Champagne region. Moët’s links to F1 date back to the first year of the world championship in 1950. After winning that year’s French Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio was invited to make a toast with one of its bottles.

Across history, F1 drivers have taken it up a notch. Once uncorked, many will immediately turn to their fellow podium finishers. Lando Norris bangs the base of the bottle on the step of the podium, causing the champagne to shoot upward into the sky. Earlier, his former McLaren teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, chose to decant the champagne into his race boot before drinking it, calling it a ‘shoey‘. Sibylle Scherer, the CEO and president of Moët & Chandon, underlined what a beautiful tradition they have with F1. “It’s not just about a bottle of champagne. It’s a very authentic and honest partnership that we have, with a lot of love in it and appreciation. It comes from the heart from both sides.”

Who knows, maybe NASCAR will also adopt a champagne-spraying ceremony along with podium celebrations in Mexico City. That will only make things grander than they already are for the upcoming June 15th event. Do you think podium celebrations should be the norm in NASCAR, too? Let us know in the comments!