NASCAR Betting in the USA
NASCAR is arguably the premier motor racing sport in the United States. Scarcely popular outside the country, and far more critical to those living in the Southern states than those in the North, NASCAR is one of the most bet on motorsports around the globe. Also check other sports at Sports Betting USA!
NASCAR betting is easy to pick up if you haven’t tried it before. And here is how you go about getting involved.
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What Nascar Competitions Can I Bet On?
NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, although many people wrongly believe that this applies to just NASCAR Cup series. It doesn’t. It also refers to several other series, all of which can be bet on via any major US sportsbook. These series include:
- NASCAR Cup Series: The most significant event in NASCAR, and the one most punters associate with the sport. And is run over 26 races. Drivers (known as pilots in the USA) are awarded points based on their performance in each race, as are the manufacturers. At the end of the NASCAR season, the top drivers and teams are sent to the NASCAR playoffs for a final 10 races, just like in other US sports.
- Xfinity Series: This a junior championship, often called the Minor League. It is widely thought of as a proving ground for future NASCAR Cup competitors. It is run in a similar way and has also gone by various names over the years.
- Truck Series: The series involves pickup truck racing and is the only NASCAR sport to feature pickup trucks.
- Other Series: Other NASCAR series which appear include the regional Home Tracks series, various modified series, and other truck events.
Of course, the only series that most players are interested in is the NASCAR Cup Series, so it is this series that we’re going to focus on. This shouldn’t throw a spanner in the works, though, since most NASCAR series can be bet on in the same fashion.
Types of NASCAR Bets
If you’re ready to give NASCAR betting a run for its money, you may wish to learn a couple of the bets that you’re going to have open to you. Most punters tend to go straight for the outright bets, but there are other ways to go if you wish to. First, though, let’s look at outrights.
- Outrights: The simplest type of bet around. Outright bets involve betting on one of up to 40 drivers to win the race. You can also be on multiple drivers if you want.
- Top 3 and Top 5: Another way to go is to bet on a driver finishing in the top three or top five race positions. Doing this will see you pick up smaller winnings than if you were to pick the winner outright, but you do maximise your chances of success with top three and top five bets.
- Matchups: Matchup bets involve a stake on qualifying. You are primarily looking at two different drivers/pilots and deciding which one of the two will qualify higher than the other. Alternatively, you can use the same logic in matchups based on the race itself.
- Prop Bets: Prop bets can include betting on the manufacturer who will win. Another famous prop bet is wagering money on one driver to finish higher than others in a group selected by the bookie.
- Future Bets: These involve betting on who will win a championship or a cup, long in advance. Although tricky, these future bets tend to yield the best prizes to players who predict winners successfully.
Doing Your Homework
Like any professional sports bettor will tell you, there is more to winning than luck. Most of the pros will do a bit of homework before they decide which way to go. Stats centres can tell you a lot about how things have gone in the predeceasing races, but there are other elements to consider other than just stats.
Other Things to Consider
If you want to give yourself the best chance of successfully betting on NASCAR events, you may wish to consider:
- Box Position: Basically, the qualifying position of a pilot/driver before a race. The closer to the front they start, the better the chance they have of winning – in theory.
- Track Record: Not every driver and manufacturer perform well on all tracks. Each track will favour specific drivers and cars over others. It pays to get to know who performs well at which track.
- Team Form: Cars are continually redesigned following the end of each season. As the history books show, the same teams don’t win every year. Flaws in design can ruin a season, so keep an eye on team form. Have they made changes to their car of late? How have they impacted performance?
- Track Details: Some tracks are long, and others are short. What may be an advantage for a driver/team in one race, may not be in the next! Keep tabs on the changes a team has made for the race, and whether their setup will hinder or help them based on the details of the track.
- Reliability: To err is human, but to fail, well, that’s a machine’s problem. Cars, engines, suspensions, gears, brakes – you name it, they can fail and will. Bad strategies may smash a race plan to dust, and dodgy mechanics and engineering can play its part, too. It is always advantageous to keep tabs on the reliability history of a team. If they’ve had a bad few races and reliability problems are starting to mount up, they may make you change your bet.
Where Can I Bet on NASCAR?
Although not as popular as the other major American sports, you should still be able to find NASCAR bets in most prominent US sportsbooks. If motorsports are offered at a US sportsbook, you can all but guarantee that they will be offering NASCAR bets.
The biggest sportsbook will also offer events besides the NASCAR Cup Series, too. How many types of bets they offer, though, varies from site to site.