Motor sports betting guide: Best NASCAR betting strategies, F1 betting tips, more

Motor sports have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, which has brought mainstream sports fans to F1 betting and NASCAR betting through pop culture. We'll take a look at how sportsbooks operate when it comes to motor sports, how bettors can wager on racing events and go over some of the best strategies and tips when it comes to racing betting.

Finding the best sportsbook promos for motor sports betting

Here's a look at some of the promotions going on at top sportsbooks for fans interested in getting into motor sports betting.

DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 are all offering "bet and get" promotions where users get bonus bets after wagering $5 or more. FanDuel requires a user's first bet to win, while DraftKings and bet365 provide bonus bets regardless of the outcome of the qualifying bet. DraftKings is also giving users a discount on NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2025 season.

BetMGM and Fanatics Sportsbook are also giving out bonus bets but in a different way. BetMGM covers a user's first bet up to $1,500 with bonus bets if that first bet loses, but users must wager at least $1,500 to be eligible for the full amount. Fanatics has shifted its promotion to specific days where users can wager up to $100 on football and receive bonus bets back if their wager loses.

Caesars Sportsbook has gone away from bonus bets, instead offering 20 100% profit boost after users wager $1 or more at the sportsbook.

Before you get into motor sports betting, it's important to find a sportsbook which consistently provides odds for races. There's always value in shopping around multiple sportsbooks for the best lines, but some platforms do not offer extensive betting markets for motorsports compared to others.

What do motor sports odds mean?

When it comes to motorsports and racing markets, odds are displayed and read similarly to how they are for most sports. Let's say a driver is priced at -150 to win the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 31, and the next best driver has +200 odds. That means the driver at -150 is a decent favorite to win, and you'd have to risk $150 to win $100. The second driver is a contender but is unlikely to win in the eyes of oddsmakers, but you'd win $200 after risking $100 if he does indeed pull off the upset.

When you can bet on motor sports odds

The racing schedule varies across NASCAR, F1 and IndyCar but there are usually weekly races with occasional breaks. NASCAR has multiple series, so there's usually at least one race across the series every weekend. F1 has a set calendar for the year with some breaks in between, but there are junior Formula racing series which might be going on in some of the gaps on the main circuit.

Typically, the actual race will take place on a Sunday. There will be practice on either Thursday or Friday, with a qualifying event to set up the grid on either Friday or Saturday depending on the race schedule. Qualifying usually takes place the day before the race. Bettors can wager on qualifying outcomes as well, and those results will shift the race odds.

Biggest races for motor sports betting

Netflix's "Drive to Survive," NASCAR's Chicago Street Race and big-budget films like Ford v. Ferrari and F1: The Movie have brought a new audience to racing, and that means more action when it comes to racing betting. Arguably the biggest sporting event in the racing world is the Indianapolis 500, which is traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend. That's the premier IndyCar event.

NASCAR has several big races, with the Daytona 500, a Crown Jewel event, regarded as the richest race on the circuit. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and the Brickyard 400 are also considered Crown Jewel events. Talladega Speedway is a widely known track thanks to the movie "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" but it is not a Crown Jewel event.

Every F1 race has its unique twist, as the tracks are different in each city, but Monaco is considered the biggest spectacle of the season. The race itself is somewhat mundane, as there's little opportunity for drivers to pass each other. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the Singapore Grand Prix are considered some marquee events on the F1 calendar. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is also a high-profile event as it is typically last on the calendar and could decide who wins the drivers championship and constructors championship. F1 has also added special events like Miami and Las Vegas.

Types of bets and how motor sports betting works 

Like all sports betting markets, there are a variety of ways prospective bettors can wager on motor sports. Here's a look at some of them.

Outright/To Win odds

This market is straightforward. Users are betting on which driver will win the event. There are also markets here for which team/constructor car will win the event, which will have multiple cars involved.

Placement/Top Finish odds

Motor sports betting offers users the ability to wager on drivers or teams having a certain placement or finishing within a certain range. For example, you can wager on drivers to place in the top 5 or top 10 of the event. You can do the same with teams/constructors.

While it rarely occurs in racing, there's a possibility of multiple drivers tying for a position. In this case, technically there are multiple winning bets but sportsbooks grade dead heats differently and the payouts can be different. If FanDuel declares a dead heat, half the stake is applied at the original odds and half the stake is lost. If there are more than two dead heats, the stakes are proportioned accordingly.

Dual Forecast

This is where bettors can place a wager on which drivers will finish first and second. Both drivers must finish in the correct order for this wager to be paid out as a win. For example, you can wager on Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to finish first and second, respectively in a Dual Forecast market in F1 betting. However, if Verstappen finishes second and Hamilton finishes first, your bet will lose even though you did correctly pick the top two drivers for the race.

Each Way Betting

This might not be as common in motor sports but can be applied to racing betting. An each way bet basically places two wagers: a driver to win and to finish above another position. If the driver wins, both bets get paid out. The same applies for team bets in this market.

Stage Winner

This is prevalent in NASCAR and IndyCar, which has more laps than Formula One. You can bet on which driver or team will be in the lead after 25 laps, 50 laps, 100 laps and so on. These are the stages.

Matchups/Head-to-Head

Sportsbooks will put two drivers or two teams against each other and bettors can choose which one will place higher. For teams, the bet is usually on the highest-placed driver for that particular team. For example, if a market was being offered on F1 to see if Ferrari or Mercedes placed higher, a winning Ferrari driver would give Ferrari bettors the win even if the Mercedes drivers combined to finish higher than the Ferrari drivers.

Group Winner

This is offered in NASCAR. Sportsbooks will put a handful of drivers in groups and ask which will be the winner of the group.

Top Car Make Driver

This is also specific to NASCAR, where you can bet on whether the winning driver will be in a particular car manufacturer, like Ford or Chevy. It's more applicable here since there are only two drivers on each F1 constructor, while car brands can span several NASCAR teams.

Team of Race Winner

This is similar to Outright Winner for drivers but applies to teams and constructors.

Qualifying Bets

Bettors can wager on who will take pole position and which cars will be on pole. These are determined during qualifying racing, which typically takes place the day before the race. You can also bet on markets offering odds for who will finish in the top 5 or top 10 in qualifying, though these necessarily aren't available for every race. The results of qualifying will often shift the race odds.

Motor sports futures betting

Formula 1 betting

In most cases, F1 futures usually apply to the next race. However, you can bet on season-long futures for the drivers and constructors championships. The drivers championship is straightforward as it will be given to the driver who accumulates the most points over the season. The constructors championship takes into account the points for both team drivers. Only the top 10 finishers in each race score points, and those points are tallied over the season. The winning driver can be part of a constructors championship, but that's not always the case.

NASCAR betting

NASCAR has different portions of the season. There are also different circuits like the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and Truck Series. You can bet on marquee races for NASCAR in the futures market, and you can also wager on winners for these particular series.

IndyCar

The major marquee futures market for IndyCar is the Indianapolis 500. Other than that race, there's season-long championship odds for the circuit.

Can you parlay wagers in motor sports betting?

While parlaying is generally not advised as you don't get appropriate odds from sportsbooks which correspond to the actual chance of your bet winning, you are able to parlay outcomes in motor sports betting. While you can't pick multiple drivers to win an event in a parlay, you can pick multiple drivers to finish in the top 5 or top 10. You can also pick teams to finish in the top 5 or top 10.

How to bet on motor sports live during a race

Sportsbooks do offer live odds for motor sports, though this is likely a more prominent feature for NASCAR and IndyCar as opposed to F1. Driver and team odds will shift based on where they are in the grand scheme of the race. NASCAR and IndyCar allow for more leeway since there are more laps, while F1 can sometimes shift quickly towards one driver or team.

Tips and strategies for how to bet on motor sports

Driver form does matter when it comes to racing, but the biggest predictor of success is usually how each team can adjust to conditions. Races can take place in all kinds of weather and team strategy can make or break the day. There are some teams that struggle to adjust, and bettors should know which teams those are before placing wagers.

Historical track success does matter, but it often takes a back seat to current form. For example, Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix three years in a row and was a contender after starting second behind George Russell in 2025. Russell has had mixed results in Montreal historically but wound up winning the race after winning qualifying to take pole position.

Longshots don't usually win races, but it's not uncommon to see them do well in the Placement markets. You can usually back drivers who have had success on certain tracks or who have routinely finished just outside of a certain position market to break through eventually.

Occasionally, a caution flag comes out when there's a crash on the track, which makes racing conditions hazardous for everyone. When this happens, there will be a safety car deployed, and all drivers must line up behind the safety car until the wreck is managed. This has sometimes happened on the last lap of the race, which can completely eliminate the leader's edge on the field. 

There are different rules for each association and sometimes the race organizer makes a call in the moment, but usually, the race cannot end on a caution flag. If the wreck is too big to clear in a reasonable amount of time, the race will end despite the caution flag being signaled. Overtime doesn't really exist, but usually there will be at least one additional lap of racing should the fallout of the crash get removed in a timely manner and the safety car gets taken off the track.

FAQ

Can you bet on motor sports?

As long as you are of legal age in a state where sports betting is legitimate, you should be able to find a sportsbook which provides racing and motor sports odds.

Who to bet on for the Indy 500?

Because the Indy 500 typically takes place over Memorial Day weekend, you'll have to wait for a bit before placing wagers on who will win the signature event. Josef Newgarden won the Indy 500 in 2023 and 2024 but Alex Palou won in 2025 and is the reigning champion.

Can you bet on SuperCross?

SuperCross is a type of motorcycle racing and some sportsbooks do offer SuperCross odds in certain states.

Can you bet on motocross at DraftKings?

DraftKings does provide SuperCross odds, which is a motocross competition, in select states. You must be of legal age and residing in those states to bet on motocross at DraftKings.