The Dover trophy uniquely ties in the track and mascot
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Trophies are the ultimate prize in sports. They come in all shapes and sizes, symbolizing a significant team or individual accomplishment. In some sports like NASCAR, they are awarded after a race. In other sports like Major League Baseball, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association to name a few, trophies are given out at the end of the season upon completion of each sport’s championship round.
The trophies themselves can be filled with storied history like the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup trophy. The trophy features every team to win the championship in the NHL, as well as the names of the players on the team and key management personnel. Upon winning the championship, a player gets to spend a day with the Stanley Cup and can pretty much do whatever they want with it.
The rich history of trophies extends to the Green Jacket tradition for the winner of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. The green sport coat is the official attire of members of the club, and the ceremony is seen as a passing of the torch as the year’s previous winner puts the jacket on the current winner. NASCAR has something similar with its blue blazer for the members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
WATCH: Learn more about the blue blazer NASCAR Hall of Fame members receive
The Stanley Cup and Green Jacket are just a handful of countless examples we could mention. In some cases, the trophies do a magnificent job of tying the victory hardware to the event’s history and heritage. One such place that does that well is Dover International Speedway, site of this weekend’s NASCAR national series tripleheader and the headlining event of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
The Delaware track has hosted NASCAR events since 1969 and carries the nickname “The Monster Mile” for its 1-mile oval layout as well as the track’s mascot, “Miles the Monster.” Miles is on everything from memorabilia, to tickets, to the trophy given to race winners. There’s also the Monster Monument in Victory Plaza.
The integration of Miles makes the mascot synonymous with everything at Dover on a NASCAR weekend. It’s also why the Dover trophy is among the best in all of sports and one of the most unique in NASCAR.
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Last year, before yet another win at Dover, Jimmie Johnson described the Dover trophies as ones that “stand out. They’re a big trophy and they certainly draw a lot of attention.” The Hendrick Motorsports driver should know, as he has the most career premier series wins at Dover (nine entering this weekend).
It may not have as much storied history behind it, like winning a grandfather clock at Martinsville Speedway, nor may it carry the prestige of the Harley J. Earl Trophy for winning the season-opening Great American Race, the Daytona 500. It certainly doesn’t taste as good as a win in wine country at Sonoma Raceway or come with food like the lobster winners get at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But does any other trophy hold the intimidation factor and menacing look that Miles the Monster invokes?
In short, no. The trophy balances the right amount of track history, heritage and tradition, while keeping its hardware fun and interesting for the winners to display.