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One of the most exciting forms of auto racing is the racing Series known as IndyCar. Also, possibly equally exciting, is that wagering on IndyCar races is a very popular form of betting! IndyCar boasts a large fan following and they hold races on a variety of tracks. The Series also has an international flare to it as many of the drivers involved are from outside of the United States.
If you are thinking about laying some bets on IndyCar then it’s probably a great idea to get a basic understanding of what the sport is. As with any type of sports betting, some basic information is needed to ensure you get off to a good start. Here are some tips for betting on IndyCar racing.
Understand What IndyCar Is
IndyCar is the premier open-wheel racing sanctioning body in the United States. It has roots to 1905, but its main history goes back to the 1920’s. To cut things short, there have been several versions of the sanctioning body that governs IndyCar racing with some off-shoots that include the former CHAMP Car and CART Racing Series during the 1990’s. That means the current formation of IndyCar dates back to only 1996.
All of that being said, IndyCar has enjoyed continued success over the last two decades by growing the sport and evolving to once again being a National Racing Series. The schedule includes a nice combination of oval, road and street courses to make the overall product exciting and challenging for the drivers. One race a year is held in Canada on a temporary street course in Toronto.
The schedule generally averages around 17 races a season. Unlike NASCAR, the IndyCar Series does not have several tiers of feeder Series. That means that drivers mainly race in only IndyCar events during a season, but you will occasionally see an IndyCar driver race in NASCAR, F1, ISMA and other events.
Understanding the Cars
The IndyCar Racing Series features an open-wheel design with a center-seat driver compartment. The cars are based on a 2.2 Liter V6 engine with 550 to 750 horsepower depending on the track. A hybrid engine package is under development. The horsepower of the cars is not the only venue-dependent feature as the weight of the cars changes from track to track as well ranging from 1650 to 1690 lbs.
There are two engine manufacturers in IndyCar – Chevrolet and Honda. Ford has not been in IndyCar since 2008. Firestone is the official tire provider for IndyCar and the fuel is an Ethonal-15% gasoline mix by Speedway. If judging by oval track speed alone, then IndyCar race cars are faster than F1 cars. As of the 2023 season, the top speed of an IndyCar racecar theoretically was 240 MPH whereas an F1 car would have a top speed of 220 MPH.
Understanding IndyCar Circuits
IndyCar races on all three types of racetracks. There are oval, road courses and street courses on the schedule. The oval tracks tend to be of the larger variety as short-track racing is not possible with the high speeds associated with IndyCar racing. The most famed venue on the track is the Home Track of the Series, which is Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is also known as the Brick Yard.
The variety of venues is one of the reasons that IndyCar race cars have changeable weights, horsepower, and other specs that can be modified. This helps make the cars more drivable depending on the venue. This is a similarity that IndyCar shares with NASCAR.
Shopping for the Best IndyCar Odds
Now that you have a basic knowledge of IndyCar and the cars in the Series, it’s time to start looking at placing your wagers. The first thing to do is look for the best odds! If you can save on prices at the grocery store then there is no reason you can’t do some shopping for the best IndyCar odds! The question is what are you looking for?
The main thing you are looking for is the best odds available! Then start looking for other offerings the platform may offer. You may find a sportsbook you feel comfortable about the odds, but they may not offer other perks such as in-race betting. Sure, picking a winner is always a classic, but you may find that you also enjoy side offerings as the race progresses.
Look at Past Driver Performance
Now you know about the Series, the cars and looking for the best odds. It’s time to look at drivers! I suggest looking at a driver’s past performance at the specific venue you are wagering on. IndyCar is different from NASCAR as there are not as many races on the IndyCar schedule as there are in a typical NASCAR Cup Series season. That means that drivers in IndyCar may be more venue-specific than a NASCAR Driver.
I say this because NASCAR drivers race almost every weekend for over 30 weeks during a season so they, and their team, can possibly get into a groove as the season progresses. There are more open weeks on the IndyCar schedule, which makes it harder to point to a driver that has put together several great weeks in a row. For IndyCar racing, I tend to lean on how a driver I am considering has done at the same venue in the past or on similar tracks.
Look for Team or Engine Maker Trends
Aside from the driver and their past performance on the track, you can also look for other trends. You can look to see if a team owner with several teams seems to have multiple drivers winning races. You can also look to see if Honda or Chevrolet has strung together multiple wins in a row or if one of the two engine builders has won at a specific track several times over the last few seasons.
I think driver performance is one of the strongest indicators when it comes to betting on IndyCar racing, but these are areas that are worth looking into. Spotting a trend can only help with making your selections.
Hitting the Track
It’s time to hit the track! These are some great tips for betting on IndyCar racing that I use weekly when making my selections combined with some basic info about the sport! You may have a favorite driver, but it does not always payoff when you bet with your heart. It always helps to have additional info when making decisions on placing a wager. I suggest you have a basic understanding of the cars, the venues how to get the best odds and wagers available. That way you can dive into some stats for your driver selections and place your bets.
