Monster Energy NASCAR cup series and when did wagering begin?

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR is the premier racing series in the United States today. It was established in 1948 by Bill France Sr. and group of associates in Daytona Beach, Florida. NASCAR is the sanctioning body for highest level of racing in America in terms of both attendance and recognition.

In 2019 the title sponsor for the NASCAR cup series is Monster Energy. This is the top series amongst the major three in the upper division who are overseen by NASCAR. The Monster Energy series has had a handful of title sponsors starting with Winston in 1972 which began the modern era of NASCAR.

The NASCAR season is a total of thirty four races. The first twenty four races make up the regular season, while the final ten races are an elimination style format. Under the current format, the top sixteen drivers make the playoffs, and then the contenders are reduced to just four drivers who compete to win the championship in the final race. All competitors are involved in every race, but only the four remaining playoff drivers are eligible to win the championship title in the final race of the season.

Wagering on NASCAR has been available legally in the Nevada sportsbooks since the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the late 1990s NASCAR wagering in the sportsbooks began to grow as the popularity of the sport flourished. With this growth, the oddsmakers created more opportunities for the wagering public. At the time of wagering expansion the oddsmakers began to set odds on things like driver matchups, and even some of the race proposition bets that we enjoy today.

Years ago many sportsbooks allowed the bettor to parlay driver matchup selections. For the handicapper it was an attempt to increase the possible payout. Most Nevada sportsbooks began to realize that the liability was simply too much to risk on these parlayed wagers so they disallowed them. However, there are global sportsbooks that do allow this type of wagering.

Even many years ago the NFL odds were being scrutinized extremely closely, but a sport like NASCAR could offer an edge to the educated handicapper. While much of this edge has been minimized today, NASCAR still offers some of the most profitable sports wagering opportunities available.