in NASCAR Betting Trends

Pretty much every sport boils down to money in the end. But NASCAR takes this to an extreme.

It isn’t just the head-to-toe sponsorship, or the governing body’s refusal to heed to mounting calls for "split-screen" television ads that run side-by-side with live action, as many soccer broadcasts use. The monetary issue that threatens NASCAR the most is simply this: No matter how great a driver may be, he’s only as good as the amount of money a team is willing to spend on his car.

 is trying to address this problem by mandating all teams to use the so-called Car of Tomorrow, a standardized manufacturing template that will make its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway next spring. By 2009, every single race of the season will be run using these cars.

Problem solved? Not quite. The cars may be standardized, but there is still the issue of sponsorship. Notice how older drivers like Roush Racing’s Mark Martin are becoming scarce, while photogenic young drivers take their place? This is no accident. Raking in sponsorship dollars isn’t just about slathering decals on every square inch of NASCAR territory; it’s also about marketing the drivers themselves. It’s about Carl Edwards appearing on the cover of ESPN The Magazine without his shirt on. Martin will probably not be gracing the cover of anything anytime soon, let alone shirtless. How much longer will it be before Chippendale’s dancers are hired to drive? Or Anna Kournikova?

The point for handicappers is that teams who rarely or never win are some of the worst long shots you could possibly spend your money on. Consider the fate of MB2 Motorsports. This underfunded team has appeared in 428 Nextel Cup races. How many wins does MB2 have in that span? Two: Johnny Benson in 2002 and Joe Nemechek in 2004. Nemechek is still with the team, sitting in 30th place in the drivers standings. Current teammate Sterling Marlin is in 31st. If you for some reason wanted to take a flyer on either man at the upcoming Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, you’d have to bet on the field at +2000.

You remember Sterling Marlin, right? He was the 1983 Rookie of the Year, he finished third in the Cup standings in 1995 and 2001, and he has 10 victories under his belt. That’s an impressive resume. So why is Marlin slumming it with MB2? Could it be that he’s pushing 50 years old? Whatever the case, Marlin isn’t about to win any races anytime soon. Neither is anyone else outside the usual Cup suspects.

Things may change for Marlin and Nemechek now that Bobby Ginn has stepped in and bought the majority stake in MB2 from Nelson Bowers. Ginn’s long arms and deep pockets (he’s a racing fan and a successful resort developer) should have MB2 competing with the big boys next season. For now, though, handicappers should treat MB2 and the rest of NASCAR’s minnows as if they don’t exist. Which puts them in the same camp as both fans and the betting public for a change.