In a series first, NASCAR will award medals to the top three finishers in a Cup race. The medals will be presented after the Feb. 5 Busch Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The race winner will receive a gold medal, the runner-up will receive a silver medal, and the third-place finisher will be given the bronze medal in the exhibition race.
The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. The venue hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics.
The race winner’s medal weighs 4.7 ounces and is covered in 24-karat plated gold.
“These will be tremendous prizes for our drivers who are competing inside a venue that’s hosted two Olympic Games and is preparing for a third,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president for racing development and strategy. “Not only do the medals honor the rich tradition of this stadium, but they also provide a special element unique to NASCAR’s 75th anniversary.”
Twenty-seven cars will compete in the 150-lap feature on the quarter-mile track built inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Practice and qualifying will take place Feb. 4.
Four heat races, two last-chance qualifying races and the feature will take place Feb. 5.
