Sportsbook howto: How to bet on auto racing

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Betting on auto racing has grown in popularity ever since FOX and NBC acquired television broadcasting rights in 2001. Further, with Nextel taking over sponsorship rights from Winston, the Nextel Cup Series is now second only to the NFL in terms of fan popularity. In fact, auto racing now ranks number one in attendance, taking over from major league baseball.

Betting on auto racing is similar to that of golf. The basic wager involves picking the winner of a race, either from the entire field or from driver-to-driver matchups. Wagering on auto racing is by moneyline, as in baseball or golf.

General Rules

Races must be run within one week of the scheduled date of the event for the bet to have action
Any drivers not taking part in the race (said to be retiring) will be treated as non-runners, and all the wagers placed on them will be treated as no action unless otherwise specified
If the race is stopped and then restarted, then all bets stand regardless of any alteration in positioning
Individual race betting (matchup and positional) will be determined by the podium positions at the end of the race and will not be affected by any subsequent inquiries, disqualifications, alterations (made after the official end of the race).
In relationship to final positions, black flags and disqualifications made during the running of the race will stand
The official winner at the conclusion of the race will be the winner for betting purposes
Both drivers in a matchup wager must be in the starting grid for the bet to have action

Number of Finishers

For settlement purposes the number of finishers in the race will be that which is officially stated, including those drivers lapped by a circuit or more

Winning Margins

Winning bets predict the official winning margin as the first and second cars to cross the line, excluding any time penalties or disqualifications incurred after the race by any driver. If only one car finishes, wagers will be settled at the maximum make-up stipulated

Qualifying Betting

Wagers on the qualifying performance will be settled according to the grid positions at the end of the qualifying period
All qualifying wagers must be placed before the practice session preceding the qualifying session. Any wager placed after the practice session before the qualifying round will be deemed void.

Matchups

If either driver fails to start, then all bets will be void on that specific matchup. If both drivers fail to finish the race, then it is the driver who has completed the most laps who is deemed the winner. If both drivers retire on the same lap, all match bets will be void

Special Situation Procedures

In the event of a race not being completed, and the race being ruled official by the race’s ruling body, then all wagers on the “outright’s” will have action according to the official results. All proposition wagers and matchups will be ruled no action
If a race is postponed or re-scheduled, all wagers will remain active providing the race is run in a period of time not exceeding one week from the original scheduled date
In order for qualifying matchups to have action, the qualifying period must be completed. If the points or any other system is used to determine the starting positions, all qualifying matchups will be ruled as no action

Betting Examples:

Outright Winner - When picking the outright winner, the driver selected must win the race, or be declared the official winner of the race. Since all drivers are (+) money, a bettor can pick more than one driver and still profit if one of them wins. The favorite in a race may be 5-to-1 (+500) or higher, with many competitive drivers at 12-to-1 (+1200) or higher
Matchups - In matchup betting, one driver may be bet against another, or head-to-head. The bettor must predict which driver will finish higher in the race. Oddsmakers use a moneyline (as in baseball) and most matchups are on a 20-cent line; for example, Jeff Gordon may be –130 against Dale Jarrett at +110.

Handicapping Factors

Race Tracks: When handicapping auto racing, the player must consider individual race tracks, their length, shape, degree of embankment, turns, etc. There is a wide variety in track characteristics, ranging from the 2 1/2 mile super-speedways like Daytona and Talladega, to the 1/2 mile short tracks like Martinsville and Bristol. Some race tracks are road courses, like Infineon and Watkins Glen, where the race speeds are under 80 mph.
Drivers: Some drivers seem to adapt to the super-speedways; for example, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon excel at tracks like Daytona, whereas others perform best at the short tracks. Past history of driver performance per race track, therefore, is a key handicapping factor
Race Team: A successful driver is only as good as his team. The driver is dependent upon his crew chief and crew members to have his car in excellent racing condition. A topnotch crew can make the difference between winning and losing.
Qualifying: Practice sessions and qualification runs on the Friday and Saturday before the race determine the pole positions. Successful auto racing handicappers will place close attention to these sessions, watching the lap times for each driver, since they often indicate the driver and team that is best prepared for race day

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