NASCAR remains one of the quintessential North American sports, and it remains fascinating for racing fans across the world even after all this time. There is nothing like the rumble of the jungle of cars on the oval, and the spectacle comes with great overtakes and even greater crashes.
Modern NASCAR seasons revolve around a complicated playoffs system that can take time and research for casual viewers, armchair experts, and excited punters alike. We’ve put together a summary for you to watch the next NASCAR race like a real pro!
NASCAR basics – everything you need to know
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series is the pinnacle of the competition, the 51st in the modern era and the 74th season in total. The Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series serve as the other two main competitions under the NASCAR banner, albeit with a somewhat lower prestige.
A recent acquisition of the franchise is the ARCA Menards Series, which they picked up in April 2018, a mix of touring and regular racing series tracks.
The 2022 season of each of the three national series featured the return of knockout-style practice and qualification sessions after their two-year absence to reduce travel days during the pandemic.
How is a NASCAR season organized?
Like many other American sports, a NASCAR season features a regular season that seeds the best-performing racers into a knockout playoffs portion. The NASCAR points system rewards racers for their overall race wins and performances across the stages.
So what are stages? Stage points in NASCAR are earned by finishing in the top ten of three mini-races across the main race. The first two stages comprise a quarter of the overall race length, with the third covering the rest. Charlotte’s Coca Cola 600 is an exception, with a whopping four stages, but apart from that one, basically every other race feature three stages.
NASCAR Playoffs: when the action really heats up
In total, there are 36 races in a NASCAR season. The sixteen drivers with the most wins over the 26-race regular season qualify for the playoffs as long as they’ve finished in the top 30 of the overall standings. At this point, the points totals are reset for the racers to 2000, with an extra point for each stage win and five bonus points for each race win.
The full NASCAR playoffs format is as follows:
- Races 27-29 are the Round of 16, after which 4 racers are eliminated,
- Races 30-32 are the Round of 12, after which 4 other racers are eliminated,
- Races 33-35 are the Round of 8, after which 4 other racers are eliminated,
- Race 36 is the Championship Final, featuring just the top four drivers.
A race win automatically advances a driver to the next round, and the points are reset repeatedly between the rounds.
NASCAR betting 101: the fun side of the sport
The best part of awesome sports like NASCAR is the growth of the many auxiliary fun activities. From food vendors on location to content creators worldwide and enterprising bettors looking to figure out the next big thing in the scene, NASCAR is about much more than just the races in the season.
NASCAR offers a wide variety of wagers for those interested in this side of the racing world. The complicated structure of the season allows for a wide variety of prop bets and other options beyond just gambling on the race winner for interested punters.
There are many different NASCAR betting sites and strategies to consider: a great primer to get started with this is Safest Betting Sites, where you can find great summaries of NASCAR-related news and concepts.
The most notable NASCAR racers to follow
Many different racers in NASCAR are worth watching, but a few stand out from the crowd. For starters, Chase Elliot has been having an excellent season so far; he is trying to replicate his 2020 title win. Motorsport is quite literally in his blood as the younger member of the third father-son NASCAR champion pairing in history.
Ryan Blaney is also worth mentioning, as the Team Penske driver is also challenging for the top spots this time around. He’s also a descendant of racing legends, the son of Dave Blaney and the grandson of Lou Blaney. For movie buffs, he may be known for voicing Ryan “Inside” Laney in Cars 3.
There’s also Kurt Busch, whose recent Cup win at Kansas catapulted him back into the list of top contenders for the 2022 season. He’s always been there or thereabouts, and his dominance In 2019 is the stuff of legends, so there’s little reason to doubt that he will remain competitive.
Wrapping It Up
NASCAR remains ever-evolving and exciting motorsport, a one-of-a-kind experience that keeps on continuing as the decades roll by. If you haven’t yet been involved with the NASCAR scene, this is a great time to jump into the action. Whether you’re looking to follow the races as a fan or as a bettor, 2022 offers exciting new opportunities.
For more information about betting news and strategies, visit SBS!
