Fun With Cars- Making Money On NASCAR
by Marc Brown Of Madwinners.com - 2/15/2007

Betting on NASCAR is a hoot. I call it "a hoot" because some of you still think the only people who watch NASCAR like to call things "a hoot." Not true! Not anymore. The whole country is crazy on NASCAR racing. 75 million people consider NASCAR racing their favorite sport! It's the number two television sport behind NFL football. And if you've never watched a race you should. It's got all the elements of every great sport- amazing talent, incredible competition and thrills every second. There's drivers you'll love and drivers you'll despise. And the best thing... YOU CAN REALLY MAKE MONEY! Nowadays, every offshore casino takes action on Nascar- both the Busch series and the Nextel series (I'll explain what the difference is later). They also take Indy and Formula I racing bets as well. The key is understanding how to bet the races and how to maximize your profits.

There are two main types of NASCAR wagers. You can pick the outright winner of the race or you can bet head to head matchups. Both are "moneyline" bets which is similar in format to golf or tennis.

PICKING THE OVERALL WINNER

When picking the race winner, all drivers are plus (+) money, which means a bettor can pick four or five different drivers and still profit if one of them wins. Normally the favorite is at least 5-to-1 (+500) or higher, with many competitive drivers at 12-to-1 (+1200) or higher. NASCAR races may have as many as 15-20 drivers with a chance to win each week and because of the great parity in the sport, it's not crazy to bet a real longshot who might grab an occasional victory. You might want to bet multiple drivers with one or two real long shots thrown in (for a smaller bet probably) who still have a chance to win. Strange things can happen when cars are travelling 200 mph and favorites often find themselves the victim of unforeseen circumstance. In fact, in 2004, 31 different drivers had at least one Top-5 finish with 13 different winners in 36 races.

HEAD TO HEAD DRIVER MATCHUPS

Most professional handicappers tend to favor this method of betting. This wager involves only two drivers and the bettor must predict which driver will finish higher in the race. It allows the ability to focus on or against one specific driver, without having to worry about the other 42 cars in the field. Each offshore casino will have its' own list of driver matchups and the appropriate moneyline odds for each pairing.

Once again, oddsmakers use a moneyline (just like baseball) and most match-ups are on a 20-cent line (-130 / +110 for example) all the way up to -200 / +170 where a larger split takes place. Head-to-head match-ups allow great flexibility for handicappers as they can either look to play on certain drivers or against certain drivers. Much like in other sports, drivers can get "hot" or turn "cold". The best betting situation occurs when a hot driver is pitted versus a cold driver in the same match-up.

NASCAR HANDICAPPING STRATEGIES

The beauty of handicapping NASCAR lies in the intricacies of each individual track. Each track varies in distance, banking, surface, etc. The longest tracks are 2 1/2 mile super-speedways like Daytona and Talladega with race speeds nearing 190 mph, while the others are 1/2-mile short tracks like Martinsville and Bristol (or road courses like Infineon and Watkins Glen) where the race speeds are under 80 mph.

Certain drivers excel at super-speedways (Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, and Michael Waltrip have won 15 of the past 18 restrictor plate races) while other drivers excel at short tracks (Kurt Busch has won four of the past seven Bristol races). Past history is an important handicapping factor as certain drivers and teams consistently do well on specific types of tracks.

NASCAR is a team sport and it takes more than one individual to win the race. The driver is the star, but he must rely on his pit crew of six to eight members and his crew chief to prepare a winning car and then make the necessary adjustments as the race progresses. Current form is important as teams go through slumps during a long nine-month season, just like athletes and teams in any other sport.

Another important handicapping factor is practice. Each driver is allowed three practice sessions on the Friday and Saturday before the race. The first practice session usually takes place on Friday morning, followed by qualifying to determine the starting order. The next two practice sessions usually take place on Saturday morning, with the final practice known as "Happy Hour."

The oddsmakers and media put too much emphasis on qualifying times, as the practice times are more relative to the overall race results. The first practice session is usually run in "qualifying trim" meaning the teams prepare the car to run fast for just two laps. Many changes are made to the shocks, brakes, oil, etc. which would not be optimal for actual race conditions.

The second and third practice sessions are usually run in "race trim" which more accurately simulates real racing conditions. These times provide an excellent gage into how a team will perform that weekend, including race day.

With all its details and numbers, NASCAR continues to grow in popularity each year. It is a competitive and balanced sport and this parity provides excellent opportunities for the smart sports bettor as many winning drivers have odds of at least 10-to-1 (+1000) or higher.

It is extremely important to shop around at various sportsbooks to obtain the highest odds on each driver you play. Some sportsbooks will post a driver at +600 while another sportsbook has him listed at +1200. This type of discrepancy is seen every weekend and by having multiple offshore sports accounts, a bettor is guaranteed the highest possible payout on every winning wager he or she makes.

The same holds true when playing head-to-head driver matchups. One sportsbook might have a driver at -130, while another has him at -115. Money saved is money earned and this is what separates a long-term professional winner from a recreational amateur.

NEXTEL SERIES vs. BUSCH SERIES

Basically, Nextel is the big leagues and Busch is the second-tier circuit. In Nextel, drivers compete for points hoping to earn entrance into the Chase for the Championship- the last ten races of the season. The top 10 drivers get into the Chase as well as any drivers within 400 points of the lead driver. Points in the "regular season" are accumulated based on the order of finish in each race. Right now, Matt Kenseth and Jimmy Johnson are fighting it out for the standings lead heading into the final 10 races. Because of lower advertising costs, the Busch series has smaller purses for its' drivers although some Nextel drivers will compete in both. Also there are subtle differences in the car specifications for each series. Some say that, while Nextel cars are faster, Busch cars corner better and have more maneuverability.

WANT HELP HANDICAPPING THE RACES?

Right here on the website, or on our webcast, Madwinners will be giving out free NASCAR picks on some of the upcoming races. There's still plenty of exciting action remaining this season. If you're not set up to bet NASCAR or auto racing, check out SBG GLOBAL. You can click on the banner displayed on this page or call them at 1-888-778-5505 to set up an account. Mention Madwinners when you call and get a 20% sign up bonus added to your initial deposit.

The Madcappers are always available to answer your questions regarding anything related to sports betting. Even if you are not yet enrolled in our Personalcapper service we invite you to call us at 800-511-3003 with any questions. Or email us madcappers@madwinners.com