The 2019 season is upon us, which means one thing: it’s time for us sports fans to start taking a look at sports betting odds and wagering on our favorite sports. One of the sports we’ve been eagerly anticipating is NASCAR. The season kicks off this coming weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas and with such an exciting season ahead, it’s time for us to find out more about the 2019 NASCAR season so we can place our bets and catch all the action live.
What Is A Traditional NASCAR Race?
The name NASCAR actually stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and the sport has been around since 1935. The races themselves have evolved over the years, but generally speaking, they follow a similar format. The first step is to line up the 40 or more cars on the starting grid. Once the engines have roared to life, the drivers gun the engines and blast away from the starting line.
The speed is astronomical; these cars can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour! If you want to get a sense of how fast these things go, check out this video of Kyle Busch breaking the sound barrier:
Once they’ve attained this phenomenal speed, the drivers will cruise around the track for a couple of laps before coming back for another sprint. These are known as green flag laps and they represent the easy part of the race. The real challenge comes at the end where the driver has to take a few seconds to pull off a smooth stop in the middle of a mile of concrete.]
This is when things get really interesting. Because the drivers are traveling at such high speeds, they become more vulnerable to accidents and severe damage. This is why these races are commonly known as ‘Crash-fest’ or ‘Desert Storms’. It’s not uncommon for these cars to flip or spin out, leading to a pile-up of vehicles. Thankfully, these days, safety equipment and driver training mean that serious injuries are rare. Still, this remains one of the most dangerous sports out there, which is why NASCAR actually limits the amount of wrecks and incidents a driver can have.
Why Do We Care About NASCAR?
The answer to this question is actually quite simple. NASCAR is one of the most popular sports in the US. Last year, 144 million Americans watched some form of racing, with 40.9 million tuned into NASCAR races alone. That’s more than the 32.9 million who watched the Super Bowl and more than the 26.25 million who saw the World Series. So not only is it popular, but it also draws a large audience. This is important because commercial viability is on the line for teams and organizations that sponsor these races. If NASCAR is popular enough, then so is advertising. Think about it: if you’re going to drive around in a circle for a couple of hours, you might as well do so while being paid to promote a brand or cause.
What About The 2019 NASCAR Season?
Well, for the most part, things appear to be going well for NASCAR in 2019. The season saw record-breaking viewership and incredible engagement on social media. In fact, some would argue that NASCAR is better than ever. A big reason for this resurgence in interest is likely due to the increased access to information that modern technology offers. The ability to stay connected to the world through social media has opened up a world of sports betting opportunities.
The 2019 NASCAR Season Is Rewarding Viewers…
…with some exciting racing, as you’d expect from a sport with such a rich history. In particular, the opening race of the season, the Daytona 500, drew a record-breaking audience of 337.9 million. This was up significantly from 2018, when the season opener suffered from low ratings. The numbers also marked the largest TV audience for a season opener in over three years. This was likely due to the addition of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, which had previously been held by the aforementioned Super Bowl.
The 2019 season also saw a record number of participants. There were 40 drivers who earned their spots through qualifying rounds and the season started with an incredible lineup of over 40 cars. This was the most ever in a NASCAR season and was partially attributed to the addition of more drivers’ licenses and increased opportunity for young people to participate. Still, the popularity of NASCAR is such that things inevitably had to be cancelled due to lack of participants. This is something that the sport has struggled with in the past but the situation is now improving.
Betting Trends In 2019
The explosion of sports betting has made it possible for fans to wager on almost every sporting event. This has created an entire ecosystem of betting opportunities, one of which is NASCAR. In the sport, there are a number of interesting trends that fans and bettors can wager on. Some of these are highlighted below.
- Over/unders Are Back
- Climbing The Leaderboard
- Different Race Styles
- Ticket Prices Continue To Rise
Over/Under Record-Breaking
The over/under wagering market has returned in a big way, especially at sportsbooks that offer both types of wagering. As mentioned above, the audience for the Daytona 500 in 2019 was 337.9 million, which is 47 million more than the number of people who watched the 2018 season opener. This makes the 2019 edition the most-watched season opener in history. Not only does this mean an increase in wagering, but it also indicates that sportsbooks saw this as an opportunity to make money off semi-private leagues and online-only games. While traditionalists may mourn the passing of the old ways, the modern semi-private team owners and the like have embraced the new technology and the extra revenue that it brings. Of course, this is also true for the major professional sports, like the NFL and MLB.
More Multi-Race Events
In previous years, the NASCAR season was pretty much over by the time you got to the end of the season. This meant that there wasn’t a great deal to wager on. In 2019, however, there are a number of exciting multi-race events peppered throughout the season. The most prominent of these is the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, which takes place over a span of 11 races. This provides plenty of opportunity for fans who want to wager on a variety of events and drivers. These events, like the Daytona 500 for example, tend to draw large audiences. This, in turn, makes them relatively popular betting events. Additionally, tracks like Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is the venue for the finale, attract high levels of interest, especially as an underdog. This is because there is generally less advertising and more excitement surrounding these types of events. So while it’s always great to bet on favorite horses and dogs, it’s even more exciting when you can get a rooting interest in the ‘main’ event!
Biggest Increases In Ticket Prices
It should come as no great surprise that the cost of attending a sporting event has increased significantly over the years, due to the rising costs of tickets, parking, and food. What is surprising, however, is how quickly these costs have increased. Take a look at the prices for some of the biggest events in 2019:
- $100, Yankee Stadium – New York, NY
- $75, Autostadt – Germany
- $70, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- $65, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – London, England
- $60, Estadio Olímpico – Mexico City, Mexico
It should also be noted that some of the above venues aren’t exactly your traditional stadiums. That is, they don’t always feature the most state-of-the-art technology or amenities. Instead, they’re more focused on providing an atmosphere that is both unique and memorable. That is certainly the goal of every stadium and event management team, and it’s one that the above venues achieve beautifully. Still, as the cost of traditional stadium construction continues to increase, teams and organizers are looking for ways to make a profit. That is why they’re turning to new venues and avenues for ticket sales, such as online marketplaces and decentralized exchanges. These are the types of venues that can allow teams to maximize attendance while minimizing the burden on sponsors and limited resources.