Nascar Racing: the main things to know about America’s number one race

The NASCAR abbreviation stands for "National Association of Stock Car Racing”. Its history is not as long as that of some other U.S. sports: NASCAR was launched in 1948.

Back then it was just amateur car races, where participants often competed one-on-one.

Now these races at the massive Nascar tracks are gathering a huge audience in America, both in attendance and on TV; it's a huge industry that's passing billions of dollars through itself.

Nascar TV Ratings - How Popular is NASCAR?

NASCAR tv ratings consistently outpace popularity ratings of the NHL, and in some regions of the U.S. can even successfully compete with the NFL.

For a sport that is known for its consistent sold out crowds at Nascar tracks all over the country, Nascar tv ratings do pretty well themselves. These speak to the tru popularity of a race that does not get as much attention as other professional sports in America. 

While the Nascar TV ratings vary from year to year, they usually keep up with other professional leagues like the NHL and NBA, even drawing more of a crowd on occasion. 

The 2020 season of Nascar had TV ratings which fluctuated from a season high at the Daytona 500 at 4.4 to the low of the season at Texas with tv ratings of 0.7. These Nascar TV ratings attract from 1.2 million viewers to the high of 7.3 million.

Nascar Stages 

As in other American leagues, there is a regular part of the season and playoffs - the first 26 races participants earn points, and with the 27th Nascar stage begins elimination. Only 16 drivers qualify for the playoffs.

Each race in the Nascar schedule will have a different number of stages. Nascar stages break the races up into a percentage of the total laps. Almost all Nascar races will have three different stages. The exception Nascar's longest race the Coca-Cola 600, which has four stages.

The first two Nascar stages of any race will usually include 50-60% of the race's total laps, or about 25-30% each. The final Nascar stage will cover the remaining laps. 

Nascar stages are a vital part of the races as they help to determine each driver's finishing points. At the end of each Nascar stage, drivers finishing in the top ten positions will be awarded points. Point totals vary depending on the race. 

At the end of the third Nascar stage, also marking the end of the race, drivers will be awarded additional points based on their finishes. 

The Nascar season ends with the final championship race in mid-November, where only four drivers are fighting specifically for the title.

Racing is full of struggle and aggressive overtaking, which sometimes compares favorably with the same royal Formula 1 racing. That's why there are also a lot of NASCAR racing enthusiasts outside the U.S.

Types of NASCAR Bets

There are three main types of bets on NASCAR races, which can be found onmost USA sportsbooks. These are the most commonly bet on and offered lines for NASCAR betting. 

The Winner of the Race

You just bet on whether a certain participant will win the race or not. These predictions can be both the most difficult to analyze and the most profitable. But it is not easy to get a constant profit, making bets only on this line.

The sportsbook offers a list of several riders who have a high chance of winning on a particular weekend, and often at the end the last odds - "any other racer" are placed.

Putting money on this factor, you expect any "dark horse" outside the list of designated favorites to win.

Who Will Finish Higher

In this type of bet, you can choose which of the proposed two participants will finish higher at the end of the race.

These bets can be more exciting and do not require great results from a driver: the main thing is that your driver finishes ahead in the face-to-face duel of the two designated vehicles, and then your prediction will be victorious.

Finishing Position

This is the racing equivalent of betting on a total of more/less. The sportsbook offers a certain expected position for the racer and you can choose whether the participant will be able to finish the race in a higher or lower position.

For example, the total on Kyle Bush is 5.5, and by putting on "lower", you predict that Bush will finish in sixth place or lower.

In addition to the main results of any NASCAR race, three of these types of bets can also be seen on the results of qualifying races.

And in addition to the lines on individual weekends, many sportsbooks are constantly updating long-term offers, where you can make a prediction for the winner of the NASCAR Cup at the end of the season.

How to Make the Best Bets on NASCAR

Before you bet on NASCAR, you need to understand the importance of the days leading up to the race itself, and how they can affect the result. Most offices open the line for the next stage at the beginning of the week. And after that, the teams hold their first training sessions.

During these test races, team engineers try to find the best settings for cars, and riders - to adapt to the track. This is an important stage of preparation, so bookmakers at the time of training races remove the event from the line and at the end of practice bring the quotes to the current state.

Often from the first test races you can see the difference with riders who have already ha success at this particular venue. Some participants do feel more confident at certain racetracks year after year and coupled with good form in the previous weeks this can be a good reason to bet.

The current shape of the rider and the movement of the week on a particular track are the primary factors for an analysis. From the test races, and then to the qualification and directly to the race itself, you have to monitor the work of the rider and their team, examine possible technical problems, and follow the entire pool of favorites.

As with many other sports, NASCAR's big names are often slightly overrated by bookmakers. It's not the bookmakers' fault, and it has nothing to do with the rider's chance to win the event, just under the influence of a lot of bets the odds are seating - the public has always loved the favorites.

In this case, focusing on the current information of the weekend, you can seriously think about the bet on the underdog.

For Formula One prediction enthusiasts, it should be noted that in NASCAR the technical part is brought to the common denominator, and the technical development of the driver’s team is not that important for big results.

The driver of the car plays the key role and is the main star of the series, while the engineer’s role is purely supplementary.

Race rules limit engine power, weight and wheelbase length. But the strength of the team still matters, and here the analogy with road cycling is closer. Calm “pilots” for the drivers around one star can make a more reliable protection on the track to your partner.

In NASCAR, where contact between cars occurs relatively frequently, this is an important factor. A good driver without a good pit crew is unlikely to be able to achieve stable results.

For NASCAR betting it is usually recommended that you pay special attention to driving style. Some riders work tactically and carefully, with quick, controlled turns. Others are more likely to risk the car in an aggressive contact fight, trying on each turn not to concede an opening to another driver.

As part of the struggle for the final victory in the championship is preferable to refer to the first strategy, because for success it is enough to regularly get into the top five or top ten.