Off Track: Fox' NASCAR Sprint Cup Ratings Down Sharply From '08

By Austin Karp , Assistant Managing Editor Rain fell at some inopportune times during Fox' NASCAR Sprint Cup Series telecasts this season, particularly during the Daytona 500, and then again on Memorial Day weekend, when the Coca-Cola 600 was rained out completely and run on a Monday. Excluding the Coca-Cola 600, Fox averaged a 5.1 rating and 8.292 million viewers for 12 race telecasts, down 10.5% and 11.1%, respectively, from a 5.7 rating and 9.325 viewers for 12 telecasts last year, excluding the Auto Club 500, which was halted by rain on its normal Sunday window in '08. The same race in '07 earned a 6.7 rating on Fox. Each Sprint Cup race on Fox saw a year-over-year decline from '08 in ratings and viewership, with most races seeing a double-digit percentage drop. The chart below details ratings and viewership for '09 NASCAR Sprint Cup telecasts on Fox, with comparisons to last year. NOTES : (a) = '09 Daytona 500 shortened by rain. (b) = The '08 Auto Club 500 ran for 178 minutes, earning a 6.2 rating on Fox before rain halted the race on Sunday. Racing resumed on Monday afternoon on Fox at 1:00pm ET. (c) = Previously the UAW-Dodge 500. (d) = Previously the Dodge Challenger 500. (e) = The Coca-Cola 600 was rained out in '09 during its normal Sunday window. The race ran the next day, finishing under caution due to rain again. The race in '08 earned a 4.7 rating. (f) = Previously the Best Buy 400.