Home > Guide to Betting on Auto Racing

Guide to Betting on Auto Racing

Guide to Betting on Auto Racing
For as long as the human has had the automobile, the human has had auto racing. In one way or another, our fascination with racing is best defined by our relationship with the motor car. Whereas man tamed horses for the purpose of racing them, hundreds of years ago, there is no adrenalin rush quite like racing cars. For auto racing enthusiasts, this buzz is what makes the sport one of the most interesting and engaging in the world.

Adrenalin junkies will also know what an excellent cocktail betting and auto racing can be. Whether it is the IndyCar, Nascar, or Formula 1, nothing quite gets fans going like a bet on the winning driver. The high-octane thrills of superfast cars gliding around the track as enthralled fans watch on in anticipation, especially those with money on the race, is a sight to behold.

Considering you have found your way to our auto racing hub page, we can assume that you want as much information as you can get on the sport. Luckily for you, we will cover everything you need to know about auto racing, including the best way to bet, a strategy dedicated to auto racing betting, information about the different types of racing, and the best sites to place those bets.

On this hub page, we have covered everything to prepare you for betting on this incredibly popular sport. First things first, you should know how to identify a great betting site if you want to improve your chances of success. Allow us to explain, below:

What Makes a Good Race Betting Site?

Any seasoned auto racing betting enthusiast will have asked themselves this question at some point. In fairness, there are many reasons for a good race betting site standing out from the crowd. Our criteria for assessing how worthy a site is of your money is used to whittle down the very best out there. After all, there are plenty of mediocre betting sites online that will “do the trick,” but you should be a little more ambitious than that.

When we analyze any betting site, we expect to see quality and security. Looking through the many betting sites out there, we want to see a dedication to auto racing and an expertise in this field. If we are not 100% satisfied that a site is up to the task, we will never recommend them to our readers. It is easy for a betting site to promote itself as the best, but the proof is in the pudding.

Below, you will find five key areas we take into consideration before approving a race betting site for recommendation:

Security

The foremost area we take into consideration when recommending a race betting site is security. After all, if a site does not demonstrate that they are safe and secure, we’re not touching them. We are certainly not going to recommend them to you, either. A safe and secure site should be a given whenever you are choosing to bet on auto racing. We ensure that we do our best to keep it this way for our readers.

The way we see it is that – if you follow the rules, place your bets, and win – you should have your winnings paid to you. No questions asked. A bettor should also feel safe when placing bets on a site for the first time. One of the ways we judge how secure a site truly is by considering the reputation of the company in question. Which brings us to our next point.

Reputation

Yes, reputation can precede many betting sites. There is no doubt that a site that constantly finds a way to rub bettors up the wrong way should be avoided like the plague. However, there is a little more to it than just listening to a handful of disgruntled customers. We assess the reputation of a site in how it has performed, how long it has been in operation, and consider how the company has treated other gamblers.

One of the greatest things about the internet is the ability to really dig deep into how a company performs. Using our specific set of criteria, we can work out if the site’s reputation is in line with their image and their brand. Are they full of hot air, or are they a quality site?

Quality

Quality over quantity. These days, many gambling sites tend to overdo it with bells, whistles, bright colors, and loud noises, in order to trick gamblers into signing up. Once a betting enthusiast has signed up and deposited real money into their account, they find that the pretty designs and colors are only papering over the cracks. Once you know the signs, you can scratch the surface a little to see just how much quality is there.

So, what makes a race betting site a quality race betting site? Well, there are many different aspects to a quality site. A great design, an easily navigable site, great customer service and support, plenty of options, and, of course, great odds and markets when it comes to auto racing.

Odds and Markets

These days, many online betting sites want to be everything to everyone. In the competitive world of online betting, these sites will try to attract football fans, basketball fans, those who love soccer, those who love baseball, and pretty much everyone else in between. This approach can really fall flat on its face for auto racing gamblers when they find that the site has poor odds and few markets to bet on.

In fact, it can be pretty disheartening to learn that the site that claims it is the best in the world for Formula 1, NASCAR, or IndyCar odds and markets is not even remotely close. We ensure that a site that claims to be what it is can back it up. Talk is cheap, your money isn’t.

Convenience

And last but not least, convenience is one thing we certainly take into account when recommending top auto racing betting sites to our readers. We class a number of things under the banner of convenience, such as signing up for an account, the variety a site has when it comes to payment options, restrictions they might have on who can sign up, and how easy the site is to use, for example.

What we want to recommend to our readers are sites that are as close to the finished product as possible. That means our readers can get a convenient, safe, secure, and modern betting site with the best odds and markets for their auto racing bets. Our job is to ensure that a site is well and truly checked – from top to bottom – to ensure that you, the reader, get the pick of the bunch.

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Why Bet on Auto Racing?

Sports bettors understand just how tedious some sports can be. That being said, what does it for some will not interest others in the slightest. When it comes to auto racing, it is difficult to comprehend why anyone would not want to bet on any of the races out there. Considering how popular horse racing is around the world, it is baffling to find betting enthusiasts shunning auto racing.

Why? Well, think about it. Horse racing is essentially what auto racing is without the engines, sleek design, and world-class drivers. Auto racing is bigger, stronger, and faster. Fans go absolutely wild for auto racing, whether it is the Formula 1 races or NASCAR. For a pure spectacle and a high-octane experience, surely it gets no better than auto racing? I mean, this is the 21st century, after all.

Regardless of the year, we want to have fun when we wager our hard earned money on bets. Otherwise, we could choose any of the boring sports currently being played around the world to bet on. There are markets for sports that are so boring that they could make a glass eye shed tears, so it will always be confusing as to why more and more bettors don’t just get in on the action with auto racing and motorsports.

The best thing about betting on auto racing is the anticipation. When you choose your driver – or your team – and place your bets accordingly, once that light turns green it’s all go. Auto racing is such an easy sport to get emotionally involved in as it combines all of the most amazing things to captivate the human mind: speed, power, technology, competition, glory, and prestige.

If you want a reason to bet on auto racing, we have more than enough on this page. So, stick with us and read on as we have a couple of treats we would like to share with you. Firstly, let’s take a look at a few of the best racing bets out there.

Types of Racing Bets

“Motorheads” all across the world love nothing more than watching auto races. Luckily for those folk, there are plenty of races to get the juices flowing. With the constant evolution of auto racing comes a greater imagination from bookmakers when it comes markets for bettors. There has never been a greater choice for race betting enthusiasts than the modern age so it would be rude not to indulge in some of the better bets out there.

The type of bets that you will prefer to make will likely depend on how you bet in general. However, there are a number of specific bets that are undoubtedly the most popular among racing fans for many reasons. Whether you are betting on the IndyCar, F1, or NASCAR, these bets will be very similar in nature.

The most popular bets among racing fans typically include:

Race Winner

This is the simplest but most popular bet when it comes to racing: simply choose a driver to win a race and if they finish first, you make a profit. When it comes to race betting, the favorites will always have lower odds than those who are considered to have less chance, in comparison. In Formula 1, there are almost always a small number of standout drivers who dominate races in the championship, which has an effect on betting lines.

Put simply, the favorites’ lines grow smaller while everyone else enjoys bigger and better odds. If you are lucky enough to place a bet on an outsider – and that driver defies his odds – you could be looking at a pretty tasty profit when it comes to the end of the race.

Race winner odds usually look something like this:

The example odds above show that Sebastien Vettel is the favorite to win the next race. A $100 bet on Vettel will return $238 ($138 profit + $100 stake) if he wins the race. This is the easiest bet you can place on racing, yet potentially one that can also make you a lot of money.

Futures

Futures bets are also very popular among auto racing enthusiasts who enjoy a bet every now and again. The markets for futures bets depends on what races you are betting on. One of the most popular futures bets in racing is on the NASCAR Cup Series. Unlike F1, NASCAR boasts a far more competitive championship where a number of different drivers have a real chance at winning, making the odds a little more even.

Futures odds for the NASCAR Cup Championship usually look something like this:

Much like with our Formula 1 example we covered previously, the odds when it comes to futures bets are very easy to understand. In the example odds above, a $100 bet on Kyle Busch to win the cup will return $350 ($250 profit + $100 stake). There is nothing difficult at all when it comes to placing bets of this type, which help to keep racing betting at the forefront of the most enjoyable ways to gamble.

Driver Matchups/Head to Head

Driver matchups are always fun. In fact, this type of bet is probably the most intense of them all when betting on racing. Well, if the race comes down to a shootout for first place between two rivals who are matched up almost evenly, that is. There is nothing that gets the hairs standing up on the back of the neck quite like auto racing when we experience true competitiveness and this is great for any IndyCar betting enthusiast.

Driver matchups work pretty similar to how a football or basketball game would on any sportsbook, when it comes to odds. If you have experience of placing moneyline wagers on team sports, you will not find this type of bet even remotely difficult. The best part about driver matchups is that they really add a further element of focus on the drivers in question, even the ones who aren’t exactly battling for supremacy.

Driver matchup odds usually look something like this:

You will have noticed that these drivers are fairly well-matched. The bet is to pick who you think will finish above the other, at the end of the race. A $125 bet on Truex Jr. to win will return $225 ($100 profit + $125 stake).  The decision is up to you.

Podium Finish (Top 3)

Even if you have never watched a race in your life, you will surely have a grasp of what a podium finish is. Remember Super Mario Kart? At the end of a championship, if you finished in the top 3 of racers you could be stood on what looked like a box surrounded by a meek princess and an innocuous, half-toadstool/half-human? That box is essentially the podium.

Of course, when it comes to real life there is a lot more champagne sprayed around the podium. The top three drivers of a race (and at the end of the championship) stand in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd on the box, depending on where they have finished. A podium finish bet in racing is basically a prediction for a driver to finish among the top three drivers in a race.

For example, you could bet on Lewis Hamilton ending with a podium finish in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix at odds of -250. A $250 bet will return $350 ($100 profit + $250 stake) if your prediction is correct.

Top 6 Finish

A top 6 finish works in a similar fashion to a podium finish, but with a larger margin for error. Given that there are six places for a driver to finish, this makes it easier to predict correctly. Naturally, the odds you will get – especially for predicting one of the favorites to finish in the top 6 – will be short. The way that many savvy gamblers like to tackle this bet is to choose a rank outsider for a top 6 finish and hope that they get lucky.

Of course, that is not the only way to bet on a top 6 finish. If there is a middle of the pack driver you believe can push into the top 6, you might find that there are good odds to be found. If a particular driver performs exceptionally well on a particular track, but tends to be sketchy with consistency, this could be a good bet.

You can find example odds for a top 6 finish below:

As you can see from the example odds above, you would need to wager $700 to win $100 for Sebastien Vettel to finish in the top 6. In racing, there are a number of things which could go wrong to prevent even the best drivers of the track from finishing. A crash, for example, could see the race favorite bow out without finishing. It always pays to think carefully before you see this as “easy money,” not that a $700 bet for $100 would be easy.

Winning Margin

A winning margin bet is another popular one among motorheads who enjoy a bet. This type of wager is very easy to understand and to place. It is essentially an over/under bet, so if you have any sports betting experience whatsoever, you should not find it difficult to comprehend. The winning margin is usually set at a certain time – for example, 5.5 seconds – and you choose whether the distance between 1st and second will more or less.

In other words, you predict if the gap between the race winner and runner-up (displayed as seconds) will be under the 5.5-second mark or over it. So, if you place a bet on the distance between 1st and 2nd being over 5.5 seconds – and the gap is 7 seconds – you win your bet.

Here is an example of winning margin odds:

A $100 bet on the winning margin to be under 5.5 seconds wins $210 ($100 profit + $100 stake). It is not difficult at all!

Fastest Qualifier

This is a bet that goes down well with racing enthusiasts the world over. When it comes to F1 betting, it is definitely one of the most popular bets out there. When you decide to bet on the fastest qualifier, you must select your odds from the list on the sportsbook. Who do you believe to be the stronger driver? Who has a history of killing it on this particular track? Use your betting knowledge to make the right choice.

Of course, you don’t need to be an expert to make a prediction but a little research can go a long way. Odds for the fastest qualifier in a round or race are listed pretty much like most of the other bets that involve picking one driver. Odds will be shorter for the strongest drivers and higher for those who are deemed to have less of a chance of finishing as the fastest qualifier.

Props

There are a number of props (or proposition) bets you can wager on across any of the major races out there. Bookmakers always have some interesting props for bettors to try their luck on. The range of bets available usually depends on what championship you are betting on. It is arguable that F1 has the better range of props bets, given that there are manufacturers, drivers of various nationalities, and so on.

For example, you can expect to find a range of bets including:

There is usually something for everyone when it comes to props. The best way to approach these bets is to find something that interests you and go with that.

Major Forms of Racing

IndyCar

IndyCar Logo
IndyCar racing is one of the most beloved forms of auto racing in the United States and beyond. There are four series that fall under the IndyCar banner, which are: the IndyCar Series (which features the world-famous Indianapolis 500), the Indy Lights, the Pro Mazda Championship, and the U.S. F2000 National Championship. These all make up The Road to Indy, which in turn, is one of the biggest deals in auto racing, globally.

With roots that stretch back to 1905, IndyCar racing – which is a form of open-wheel car racing – has entertained motorsports enthusiasts for well over a century. With closer racing on superspeedways, oval tracks, as well as on road and street circuits, IndyCar has a distinctive air of coolness, compared to other forms of auto racing. It is an American institution and really gets the blood flowing for millions of racing fans.

If you would like to learn more (and we mean a lot more) about IndyCar and how to bet on IndyCar, you will find some very useful links below. Everything from the legends, history, and best IndyCar betting tips and strategy can be found, below:

NASCAR

NASCAR Logo
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is one of the fastest growing and most watched sports in America. Featuring the Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR is a world-famous form of auto racing that has enthralled racing lovers for decades. Founded in February 1948, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series have since evolved to lead the world in auto racing.

NASCAR has a worldwide presence, with over 1,500 races taking place all over the U.S., Candada, Mexico, and even in Europe and Japan. Aside from the big events, NASCAR also features a number of regional championships such as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, the Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series.

With side-to-side contact and a genuine sense of American competition in distinctively American made vehicles, NASCAR is the pride and joy of many auto racing fans across the 52 States.

You can learn more about the history and legends of NASCAR, in addition to learning some vital betting tips and strategies, below:

Formula 1

Formula 1 Logo
There are fewer institutions in auto racing that come with the elegance and prestige of Formula 1. From it was first conceived in 1950. the Formula 1 Championship has showcased the elite of car manufacturing from the greatest pioneers and engineers of vehicles in Europe and the rest of the world. A race in Formula 1 is referred to as a “Grand Prix”, which means “Great Prize,” which take place on tracks and public roads.

Formula 1 cars are the pinnacle of auto engineering and are the fastest road course racing cars on the planet. Numerous manufacturers are involved in the FIA Formula One World Championship, with several of the planet’s best-known car developers taking part in an effort to find out who is best. Many of the greatest drivers from around the world race in a series of stages to establish themselves as the F1 champion at the end of the season.

You can find out everything there is to know about Formula 1 racing, including the legends of F1, the history, and some valuable betting tips and strategies, below:

Is Betting on Races Online Safe?

It really depends on who you bet with. These days, there are a number of bookmakers operating online that don’t quite share the same enthusiasm for safety, security, and fairness, that we do. When faced with so many options when it comes to betting on races, it pays to be vigilant when choosing the best sites for betting. There are many operators out there who just don’t do enough to keep customers safe on a consistent basis.

These days, most betting around the world is done online. The majority of bets placed online are safe, but there is always a risk that the betting site you are doing business with will not have your best intentions at heart. A true, high-quality betting site should put safety and security at the top of their list of priorities. If they don’t, it pays to run a mile. You will be thankful for your vigilance in the long run.

How Do I Know if a Site is Safe?

There are a number of ways to determine if a betting site is safe and secure. You want a betting company with a proven track record, who are established and have the right security features in place to safeguard your transactions. The best way to determine if a betting site is up to the mark is by checking if they are fully-licensed and endorsed by respectful gaming authorities, among other things.

You should always read reviews – unbiased and objective reviews, that is – to get a picture of how a betting site keeps its customers safe. By reading unbiased reviews, you can really start to paint a picture of how a site handles the transfer of data, payment, and your valuable details. If you know how to separate a legitimately safe and secure site from one that is bad news, this gets easier each time.

However, if you feel as though you are unsure – and would like some help – check out our list of recommended betting sites. All of these sites have been assessed for safety and come fully approved and highly recommended.

Other Useful Resources

If you just can’t get enough of auto racing, you will want to check out these other useful resources that we have provided for you. You will find a wealth of information on these pages which will help you better understand racing and race betting. From understanding the basics of race betting to approaching your bets in expert fashion, it is crucial that you check out this additional information.

Conclusion

Auto racing continues to fascinate the good people of the United States and around the world. When it comes to betting, there is simply no sport that can catch up with the high-octane drama. Auto racing is a notoriously easy sport to bet on, for the most part, but there are a number of areas that bettors should really become more familiar with if they want to increase their chances of winning.When we think of the best races out there, the first things that come to mind are IndyCar, NASCAR, and Formula 1. There is simply nothing like watching your favorite driver or manufacturer clear up all before them and beat the opposition in style. The only criticism is that we can’t have races every day of the week, but that’s life, unfortunately. Still, there is enough racing to keep us happy.When it comes to bets, race betting sites can really be the difference between winning big and being frustrated out of our minds. Therefore, it is always a great idea to check that the site you are playing with is up to the task. Betting on racing should always be easy, convenient, fun, and above all, safe.