Eric Uribe
For the first time in 65 years, the NASCAR circuit returns to the Road America course. It’s only fitting that the return happens on July 4th. In preparation for the sport’s historic comeback to the road course, here’s a complete betting guide to the event, including our NASCAR Road America betting picks to make ahead of time.
Surprisingly, NASCAR betting odds are yet to be released by online bet makers. We expect this to change as the race draws closer on Sunday, but once betting lines are posted, we have several drivers worth backing financially. We’ll cover that below, but first, we need to get “the dirty” on the track holding the event.
What Makes Road America Course Unique?
NASCAR made sweeping changes to its Cup Series schedule in 2021, including adding more road courses to the racing calendar (seven in total). One of those newly-added events was the Road America race. Though this course has hosted Xfinity races in recent years, it’s the first Cup Series competition since 1956 (which is the lone one in history).
Beyond the road course element, another factor that separates Road America from other NASCAR tracks is its sheer length. At 4.048 miles in length, Road America will be the longest course all season long.
Given the newness of Road America, it’s tougher to predict what the final outcome will be on race day. There’s little history to base off on and in fact, many Cup Series drivers are completely new to the course. But hey, that’s never stopped us from making a betting pick. Here are the two drivers we’re backing on Sunday:
Betting Pick — Michael McDowell
As mentioned, the Xfinity Series has run at Road of America plenty in recent memory. They’ve had an annual event here since 2010. The most accomplished driver to win a road race during that stretch is Michael McDowell.
Few other Road America winners are even in the Cup Series mix right now. Not McDowell, though. He’s sitting in 17th place in the standings and even won the famed Daytona 500 event when the season began. His track record — both at Road America and in the NASCAR period — makes McDowell a good bet to win again. He’ll likely be undervalued by bookies too since he doesn’t have a ton of hype.
Betting Pick — Chase Elliott
This one was a no-brainer huh? Elliott is the undisputed “Road Course King” of the sport today. Between Sonoma and Watkins Glen — the two long-time road courses of the NASCAR season before 2021 changes — he’s won outright on two occasions and finished second another time.
Even better, during the four road races run this season, here is where Elliott has placed: 2, 21, 1, and 2 again. While he’s never competed at Road America before, he seems to be a natural under these topsy-turvy conditions. Our money says he figures out how to translate that success to Road America as well.
How To Watch The Road America Race
Look, we get it, your Fourth of July plans are already loaded with cookouts, booze, and friends. But how ’bout one more — a little gambling action? Betting freely on sports is a luxury worth celebrating on America’s Independence Day so here’s how you can watch the NASCAR event on the day of:
- What channel is the Road America Race? It will air live on NBC
- What time is the race? It’s an early start time at 2:30 pm EST (so plenty of time to part afterward and watch fireworks)
- Where is Road America located? That would be in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Are you ready to make July 4th not only a fun time but perhaps a lucrative one too? If you win a bet on the Road America event, you could theoretically make up for the money you’re already spending on hot dogs, cold brew, and other holiday festivities. If that thought appeals to you, why don’t you check out one of the sportsbooks below?
Any one of these betting sites will carry NASCAR Road America odds once the race nears. The same goes for every remaining event in the NASCAR schedule right through the championship finale. Not only that, but the betting prices are very bettor-friendly.
But listen up because this is the best part: these sportsbooks are currently offering big-money bonuses to new players. What do we mean by “big money”? How about up to $1000 dollars in free play? Seriously, that’s completely doable by leveraging one of these promos.
The deals come in the form of a sign-up bonus. As suggested by the name, this bonus is earned upon completing the sign-up process (and depositing money into your own account). Doing this takes a matter of minutes and boom, you’ll be credited free play straight to your brand-new account!
You could spend the free play on the Road America race or another event in the NASCAR schedule. Heck, you can even spread it around to NBA or NHL playoff games, Euros knockout matches, a different motorsport competition — the choice is completely yours! No matter how you choose to spend the bonus, the point is you have free money on the table. Unless you want to leave it laying there, visit one of the sportsbooks below to start the sign-up process and be on your way to free cash!
