Motorsport enthusiasts living in Florida or planning on visiting the Sunshine State in the next year, take note. There are a handful of world-class motorsports events taking place in the vicinity during that period.
Let’s start with international motor racing at its finest – the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, if your Florida trip is during 2023, you’ve already missed this year’s edition of this incredible event. It will be back in 2024, though.
The second running of the Miami Grand Prix took place at the Miami International Autodrome on 7 May 2023. For the second straight year, Max Verstappen was victorious for Red Bull. Verstappen’s huge lead in the F1 driver’s championship means it won’t be surprising if he completes a hat-trick of Miami wins in 2024. The teams return to Florida for the weekend of 3-5 May next year.
If you’re looking to back Verstappen or any of his rivals for next year’s race, there are a few sports betting options available to you. There is a slight possibility that online sports betting may be legal by the time F1 comes to town again; the push to legalize the activity has been gaining recent traction and support. Verstappen was the odds-on favorite for this year’s event, and it certainly won’t be surprising to see the same again next year, given his current form.
Next, let’s reverse back to the current year, and a favorite pastime for many motorheads – NASCAR racing.
The Homestead-Miami Speedway Circuit plays host to October’s NASCAR Cup Series Race. The teams will again converge on the Florida circuit on 22 October ’23 for the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8. Fans can enjoy over 400 miles of top-class racing as the drivers go head-to-head over 267 laps.
If you’re in Florida, make a turn at Homestead-Miami and join a NASCAR tradition that’s been active since 1995. If you’re the betting type, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals’ May 2023 overturning of the legislation banning Florida sports betting means the activity could be back soon; many bookmakers are offering odds of around +500 on Martin Truex Jr. to take the title this year, making him an attractive bet for many. Last year’s winner Joey Logano is much less favored in 2023, currently sitting at around +1100.
Finally, we’ll stay with NASCAR but skip forward again to 18 February next year and the new NASCAR season. “The Great American Race”, the Daytona 500, returns to the Daytona International Speedway circuit in Florida early next year.
As usual, this granddaddy of NASCAR events opens the new season’s racing. Thousands of euphoric fans will be descending on Daytona Beach to see if Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can repeat his feat of 2023 and win a second Daytona 500. Odds aren’t available on next year’s event yet, but fans are sure to be in for thrills again next year. This year, the event was won by Ricky Stenhouse Jr, who was somewhat of an outsider at +4000 before the event started.
The Daytona 500’s nickname, “the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing”, means the prestige of winning this 500-mile race is massive for teams. It possibly even outweighs the multi-million dollar race purse.
Since 1959, some legendary cars and drivers have competed in the Daytona 500. It is truly a fixture on the NASCAR calendar, so if you happen to be in Florida at the time, find yourself a ticket!
