Rally car racing is a popular motorsport that boasts elements that can cause fans to have an adrenaline rush and a lot of excitement. Besides watching some very lively races with many skilled drivers, fans of this sport can also predict race outcomes and place bets.
If you want to know more about this sport and betting on it, you can scroll down and find plenty of information on this topic, along with some rally car betting tips.
Basics of Rally Car Racing
Rally Car Racing 101 has a few aspects that every bettor should know. Each of the following elements is equally important for fans who wish to boost their knowledge in this area.
- Stages: Races are mostly divided into stages. Different stages exist due to different parts of the racing course (different terrain, length, etc.). All the stages in a race determine who will be the winner.
- Terrains: Simply put, terrains represent the physical surface on which cars race. That said, the organizers can cover racecourses in gravel, tarmac, or dirt. You may even see some snowy surfaces. Drivers need to drive in a specific way on each surface in order to have success.
- Driver-co-driver dynamics: Driver and co-driver work together to ensure they have the best results possible. In other words, a co-driver’s role is to pace notes and provide real-time instructions that the driver should put into practice.
- Weather conditions: Rain, snow, wind, heat, and other weather conditions can directly affect the course of a race. Needless to say, such conditions require drivers to drive in a different style, and some can always do better or worse than others.
- Car performance: The team behind car maintenance should always be up to a task when it comes to bringing cars’ adaptability to a required level. Besides making sure that it works well, the mechanics and other parts of the staff should make it adaptable to certain terrain and weather conditions.
- Driver skill: Last but not least, a driver needs to be skilled to handle different turns and curves, as well as to know how to adapt to changing and critical conditions with quick decision-making.
If you are interested in car racing, check out our guide on NASCAR races.
Types of Bets
Motorsports betting features numerous betting markets. While this sport is interesting enough on its own, being able to estimate so many outcomes and place bets is another level of excitement, as you can see in the following bet types.
Outright Winner
The most common bet variant among all others refers to the outright winner. It’s rather simple; you predict which driver will win the entire rally. Outrights for auto racing come with odds for every driver.
Fastest Stage
As mentioned before, every race has particular stages. So, you can place a bet and estimate which driver will be the fastest at a certain stage. Such a way of betting requires knowing about drivers’ skills and performance according to the stage type they’re driving in.
Head-to-Head
This is another market that is pretty self-explanatory. It’s about you predicting which one of the two drivers will win the race. Also, you can bet on your favorite driver to beat another driver during a particular stage.
What Are Rally Car Betting Tips?
Bettors know that they shouldn’t rely only on their instincts during motor sports betting. Before all else, you may need to know that doing research is crucial for boosting your bet success rate.
More specifically, you should stay up to date with the latest stats, news, car changes, and injury updates. Let’s not forget how important it is to avoid impulsive betting. On top of that, here is some more advice that no beginner or advanced bettor wants to miss.
Driver Performance
Keeping track of drivers’ performances is a nice tip to begin with. More precisely, you can examine how well a particular driver performs during a certain time span. The same goes for a driver’s performance on a certain track with certain conditions.
Car Reliability
As not all cars are the same, staying informed on the car types and the team behind their maintenance is another tip you should consider. Sometimes, the overall cars’ performance and durability (especially during certain stages) are the key to winning a race. Some of the car manufacturers with the highest performances are Subaru, Ford, Audi, Toyota, Lancia, etc.
Terrain and Weather Conditions
Taking terrain and weather conditions into account can surely make your bet on car racing safer. This is because these two factors largely influence races. For example, drivers who are more skilled on low-friction terrains may perform better on snowy tracks.
As fog, rain, wind, humidity, and other factors can also affect the dynamics of races, checking weather forecasts may be an unavoidable part of making betting preparations.
Stage Characteristics
There may be various stages in a racecourse, and almost each of them may differ from the rest. Therefore, it’s up to you to do your research and see which stages require fast and which ones require more technical driving. Also, you can get to know about drivers and compare the stages they will ride in before placing bets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
No matter how much experience you have, there are always aspects of car racing betting you should stay away from. Most of the time, they all come down to not doing your research and ignoring facts.
For instance, not considering the weather conditions may directly influence your predictions. Similarly, you may skip reading previews, checking stats, or other main information about an upcoming event, and end up with an unsuccessful bet.
Lastly, we advise you not to place bets based on your personal preferences and emotions. Even though your favorite driver is in a race, you need not bet on them if the states and other parameters tell you to do otherwise.
Rally Car Major Events
To have a maximum experience when you bet on car racing also means to target the most popular events. For that reason, we now present you with some of the world’s most well-liked and most famous rally racing competitions.
- World Rally Championship (WRC)
Inaugurated in 1973, WRC is the second oldest racing event after Formula 1. It comprises many other smaller racing competitions.
- Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally is one of the oldest and most famous events, usually switching destinations between different continents. Cars, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles participate in it.
- Rally Finland
This rally is the fastest one in the WRC. Big jumps, gravel roads, and blind crests are only some of the unique elements of Rally Finland.
- Rally Monte Carlo
Promoting Monaco as a tourist destination, Rallye Monte Carlo is a perfect place to see automobiles with new features and innovations.
- Rallycross Championship
With two different classes, this relatively new racing event can easily spike the interest of many rally enthusiasts.
Rally Car Betting: The Final Lap
In general, car racing betting is an extreme sport that brings both excitement and adrenaline. Many events are available and boast diversity when it comes to track types and length, as well as other conditions.
Betting on them with more success would mean exploring the stats about drivers, car manufacturers, weather and terrain conditions, and many other engaging elements.
FAQ
Bringing it all together with the last FAQ section.
Yes. Rally car betting is legal in lots of US states.
In short, yes. Some sportsbooks will allow you to place live bets on motorsports.
Some of the most popular rally races are the Dakar Rally, Rallycross Championship, Rally Finland, and other WRC events.
With 15 to 25 special stages, an average rally race lasts for about two to three days.
The co-driver’s job is to read pace notes and provide the driver with all the needed driving instructions.