Guide to Motor Sports Betting

Introduction to Motor Sports

If you want a different, fun, and exciting betting experience, then motorsports betting might just be a perfect choice. Fortunately, many gambling sites today offer a range of markets for players that would love to bet on motorsports.

Whether it’s the high-tech racing arena of F1 or exciting races of NASCAR and MotoGP, motorsports betting comes with great winning opportunities and exciting strategies.

If you want to start motor sports betting, we’ve included tips, tricks, and even crucial betting strategies in this guide to help you.

Before you start online motor sports betting, you need to understand the basics. Motorsports is a term used to encompass all sports that make use of motorized vehicles. Under motorsport, there are four-wheeled events, F1 and NASCAR, and two-wheeled events such as MotoGP.

There’s now air racing in motorsports, including drone racing, aircraft racing, and the likes. There’s also hovercraft racing, which involves racing on water, land, mud, and other surfaces.

Contents

Main Rules

motor racings betting

One of the essential areas you need to understand before you begin to bet on various motorsports is the rules. Note that each motorsport has its unique set of rules, and some of the race tracks have their own regulations.

There’s also a general safety rule that covers all motorsports events that you have to leave space. When trying to overtake, both the attacker and defender must ensure that there is racing space between them at all times.

Below, we highlight some of the main rules of motorsports that we believe you should keep in mind.

Charging of cars in Formula E (since they use electric cars) during the qualifying round, main race, parc ferme, scrutineering and is forbidden. However, teams are allowed to charge the vehicles during sessions and practice.

Each driver cannot use more than four new rear tires and four front tires for all the events. As a result, the drivers can use only two sets of tires from the Shakedown (the trial or test phase) to the end of the race.

All drivers, officials, and competitors participating in any competitions under motorsports must hold a recognized license. For instance, to be eligible for the F1 championship, they need to have the FIA super license. Additionally, applications for the FIA super license must be made annually through the applicant’s ASN (the French acronym for National Sporting Authorities).

Any driver during a race that makes unnecessary contact, harassment, or uses any driving tactic deemed illegal and dangerous by the authorities of the events will be fined. That driver would not be allowed to participate until the fine is paid.

The minimum age of eligibility across the various major motorsport competitions is 18, and the maximum age of competing is 50. But, some lower-tier competition like Moto2 and Moto3 have their minimum set at 16.


Main Competitions

In motorsports, there are many competitions every year, and this is not surprising because of the many sub sports. As it stands, Formula 1 remains the number one motorsport, followed closely by MotoGP and NASCAR. This section discusses these three major motor racing sports from the history to rules, formats, and other interesting aspects.

F1

Formula One or F1 is an example of global auto racing. It’s regulated by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile or the International Automobile Federation (FIA). The name ‘Formula’ is from the different rules that participating drivers and cars must follow.

The goal of any F1 competition is to have a clear winner of any race. This is the racer who first gets to the end of the line after concluding a predetermined set of turns.

The sport originated in Europe between the 1920 and ’30s. FIA standardized racing regulations in 1946 and 1950 saw the first Formula One World Drivers’ championship.

Since the sport’s inception, F1 cars have maintained the same fundamental designs and specs. A standard F1 car is an open-cockpit, open-wheel, single-seat race car. Vehicles are usually equipped with double wings, front and rear, and an engine stored behind the driver.

Race tracks, which are called circuits, are specifically built for F1 races. But in some cases, the races are conducted on different closed public roads.

Except for the Monaco GP (260 km), the required length of a Formula One race must be 305 km. Additionally, the duration of any race in F1 must not go beyond 2 hours. Once the 2 hours are exceeded, the race ends as soon as the current lap is completed.

MotoGP

MotoGP or Grand Prix motorcycle racing is a top-class competition regulated by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FMI). Since the beginning of the 20th century, many independent races have been hosted, and the larger events have the title Grand Prix.

Before it was renamed MotoGP in 2002, the top division of the sport was called 500cc. The championship is currently divided into four different classes; MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, and MotoE. The first three use four-stroke engines, but the MotoE class makes use of electric motorcycles.

NASCAR

Bill France Sr created The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR, company in 1948 with its headquarters at Daytona Beach, Florida. Every year, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,500 races on 100+ tracks in 48 states across the US, Mexico, Canada, and Europe.

Some major series sanctioned by NASCAR include the National, International, and Regional Racing Series. These major series are further broken down into subcategories, including the Xfinity Series, Pinty’s Series, and Whelen Modified Tour.


Where to Bet on Motor Sports?

If you’re already familiar with online sports betting, betting on motorsports becomes quite easy as most sites feature events and races. However, if you’re new, you might need to do a bit of research to select the right sportsbook.

With numerous betting sites for motor sports bets, it can take some time for you to find the best. In that case, you can check our list of recommended motor sports betting sites to pick the one that fits your preference.

We look out for certain things before selecting a betting site, including the license, bonuses and promotions, markets offered, odds, and payment options. We can tell if a motor sports betting site will give you a top-notch or a below-par experience with these factors.

Bookie of the month
5.0/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Starting Bonus
  • They have a mirror link
  • Various payments
Up to €130 Welcome Promo
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5.0/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Available demo games
  • An interesting design of the website
  • Active mobile apps for Android & iOS
New Customer Bonus up to €80 + €20 Free Bet
18+ T&C apply | begambleaware.org | gamstop.co.uk | Play Responsibly
5.0/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Great website design
  • Chat feature
  • Variety of sports
200% Match Bonus up to $1000
18+ T&C apply | begambleaware.org | gamstop.co.uk | Play Responsibly
4.4/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Good odds
  • Plenty of sports
  • Helpful support team
125% up to €5000
18+ T&C apply | begambleaware.org | gamstop.co.uk | Play Responsibly
5.0/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Different bonuses
  • Cash Out
  • Different payment methods
Get Your Welcome Bonus
New Customers only. Registration required. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. +18 | Terms & Conditions time limits & exclusions apply. #Advertisement
4.4/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • Big variety of sports betting options
  • Many slot games
  • Live casino games with real dealers
MELbet 100% up to €130 welcome bonus
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4.9/5
Rating
Motor Sports
  • High odds
  • Great markets
  • Superb support
100% up to £10 welcome bonus
New customers only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. Min Deposit: £10. Free Bet awarded: £10. 1 x £10 must be wagered at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). Free bet will expire 7 days after the 1st deposit. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply | gamstop.co.uk

Motor Sports Facts and History

Competitive motorsports officially started in 1894 when a French newspaper organized a Paris to Rouen and Rouen to Paris race. Then, in 1900, they created the Gordon Bennett Cup. Due to the ban on open road racing on public roads, closed-circuit racing was established as well.

Six years after the Gordon Bennett Cup was created, the first dedicated motor racing track, the Aspendale Racecourse, was commissioned. A few years later, after WW1, countries in Europe put together Grand Prix races on closed courses. However, in the US, dirt track racing was becoming popular.

After WW2, authorities came together to organize a more formal Grand Prix circuit. At that time, Stock Car Racing, NASCAR, and drag racing were firmly established. Ultimately, motorsports were divided by the types of vehicles into events and appropriate organizations.

Motorcycle racing also has a parallel history to car racing. At the start, motorcycle racing was dominated by the de Dion tricycle in 1897. However, after a few years, two-wheelers began to change the course of the sport.

In 1904, FIM created the international cup, which united five nations, Austria, Britain, Denmark, France, and Germany. In Dourdan in 1904, the first international cup took place.

Since the 2000s, motorsports has grown beyond the three major competitions. There are all forms of motor racing sports on land, air, and water.


Conclusion

If you follow Motorsports well enough, you’ll see that there are a lot of exciting changes coming up. If you want to place motorsport bets, there are many markets and betting options to select from.

Since motorsports are very broad, we advise you to tailor it down to one or two competitions so that you can easily place your bets. Also, make sure you have a tested strategy before you proceed to start betting on Motorsports. All in all, online Motor Sports betting is a perfect choice, especially if you’re already familiar with the sport.


FAQs

What are the best markets in motorsport betting?

Many sports betting sites offer a good range of options and markets. It all depends on the competitions you want to bet on, whether it’s F1, NASCAR, MotoGP, or other motorsports. Examples of specific markets include money line, spread betting, race winner and the likes.

Can I bet on motorsports online?

Yes, you can place bets on motorsports online. All you need to do is choose a sports betting site to get started.

Are motorsports betting legal in the US?

Yes, you can place bets on motorsports in states that have legalized sports betting in the US.

How risky is motorsport betting?

Motorsport betting is just as risky as betting on other sports because you cannot truly tell how a race would go or end.

How can I bet on motorsport in the US?

To bet on motorsport in the US, you need first to select a top licensed sportsbook, create an account, deposit, and then go to the motorsports section to start betting.

Elica Martinova
Betting expert
Certified Betting Expert
Elica Martinova
Ellie is in charge of writing, editing, and publishing reviews in Bulgarian, English, and German. She has a long track record as a journalist and is passionate about writing. Also, she is quite experienced when it comes to bookmakers as well.