NASCAR Betting Rules and Graded Wagers Guidelines
NASCAR betting rules are very consistent throughout all major online sportsbooks. Nevertheless, it is always important to know the rules of NASCAR betting and how certain scenarios can potentially affect the action of a bet. Bettors should always know how certain scenarios can effect the way a NASCAR bet is graded. What types of bets are available and how are they scored? How is a winner decided if both cars do not finish or is a bet still considered valid if the race is postponed? Learn the answers to many of these common questions as it relates to NASCAR betting to ensure you know what to expect in the event any of these circumstances arise.
Note* It is always a good idea to check with your sportsbook in case these rules do not apply.
Field Bets: Field bets are listed often in NASCAR. Basically bettors are risking money on the ‘field’ which includes every driver that does not have winning odds listed. Since the most popular drivers are typically included in the winning odds section, field bets normally include several cars that are considered long shots to win. However it is important to note that the ‘field’ bets may be different at each sportsbook, considering the amount of drivers that has posted odds at each book.
Head to Head Match-Ups Head to head match-ups are simply driver vs. driver bets that risk money on a specific driver to finish better than the other. For these bets to be considered valid, both drivers must start the race. The driver with the highest finishing position ultimately wins the action. If both drivers happen to wreck and do not finish the race, the race winner is still awarded to the driver with the highest finishing position that has completed the most laps. In rare circumstances where both drivers crash out of the race on the same lap, NASCAR scoring awards the driver that covered the most distance towards completing the next lap as the highest finisher which again coincides with the finishing order.
Substitute Drivers: Substitute drivers are rare in NASCAR but it can potentially happen when a driver is injured or possibly ill. However, race bets are scored by the driver that starts the race. If you place a wager and that driver completes the first lap of the race, the bet will be considered valid even if he is relieved by a substitute driver. If a bet is made and that driver does not start the race, the bet will be cancelled and risking wagers will be refunded.
Disqualifications/Penalties: NASCAR has become more strict in recent years and will lay down the hammer on teams trying to get an unfair advantage. From a betting standpoint, NASCAR winners are considered valid as long as the driver is not disqualified within 30 minutes of the finish of a race. If a driver or team is penalized in any way after that time period, the results still stand. Even in the most extreme rules violations in recent years, wins have not been voided. In fact, no driver has had to forfeit a win due to rules violations in the modern era so it is safe to say that your bet will be graded by the first driver to cross the checkered flag!
Rain Shortened Races: NASCAR starts every race with the hopes of running all scheduled laps. However Mother Nature does not always allow for that to happen. In the event weather stops the running of a race and is not able to restart, the race is considered complete as long as at least half of the scheduled laps have been completed. If the race has not reached the halfway point, it will be postponed to a later date. Additionally in the event rain washes out qualifying, NASCAR does not postpone qualifying. Instead drivers will lineup by points or practice results as outlined in the rule book. Therefore all qualifying bets will be cancelled and returned.
Postponements: In the event a race is postponed, all bets are considered valid as long as the race is still completed within 48 hours of its scheduled time. Usually NASCAR is able to have the race completed within the next day and all bets are considered valid. In the rare instance a race is postponed outside of that 48 hour window, all bets will be cancelled and refunded.
