For only the second time in 2009, ratings increased for a NASCAR race.
Sunday’s Carfax 400 drew a 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.6 million viewers on ESPN, up 6% in ratings and viewers from a 3.3 and 5.3 million last year. The Carfax 400 joins the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 as the only NASCAR races of the season to have increased ratings.
Despite the increase, the 3.5 ranks as the second-lowest rating for a regularly scheduled edition of the race since ’01.
Sunday’s race ranked as the third-most viewed program of the week on cable, even topping a Cardinals/Steelers preseason game on ESPN.
Ratings for the Carfax 400 since ’99.
U.S. rating presented, with cable rating in parentheses ().
The ’07 race was postponed to a Tuesday afternoon
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sun., 8/16/09 | Vickers | ESPN | 3.5 (4.1) |
| 2008 | Sun., 8/17/08 | Edwards | ESPN | 3.3 (3.9) |
| 2007* | Tue., 8/21/07 | Busch | ESPN2 | 1.3 (1.6) |
| 2006 | Sun., 8/20/06 | Kenseth | TNT | 4.1 (4.9) |
| 2005 | Sun., 8/21/05 | Mayfield | TNT | 4.5 (5.5) |
| 2004 | Sun., 8/22/04 | Biffle | TNT | 3.9 (4.8) |
| 2003 | Sun., 8/17/03 | Newman | TNT | 4.0 (4.9) |
| 2002 | Sun., 8/18/02 | Jarrett | TNT | 4.3 (5.3) |
| 2001 | Sun., 8/19/01 | Marlin | TNT | 3.3 (4.2) |
| 2000 | Sun., 8/20/00 | Wallace | ESPN | n/a (4.1) |
| 1999 | Sun., 8/22/99 | Labonte | ESPN | 4.0 (5.3) |
