What makes a great podium or post-race interview that sponsors and media appreciate?

Be authentic and show raw emotion rather than reading from a cue card or robotically listing sponsor names. Actually answer the question being asked instead of immediately launching into sponsor thank-yous. Tell a story about what happened during the race. Smile, make eye contact, and be engaging like Travis Pastrana. TV producers will give you more time if you're providing good content, and they'll seek you out for future interviews. As Mark Carter noted, 'Some of the best ones I've ever seen, they actually didn't even thank their sponsors, they were just talking about what the win or the place meant to them.'