NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup has continued to improve on last year’s numbers.
Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Martinsville (VA) earned a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.3 million viewers on ESPN, up 13% in ratings and 19% in viewership from last year’s 2.4 and 3.6 million, but down 13% and 12%, respectively, from a 3.1 and 4.9 million in 2011.
The race had the largest increase in ratings and viewership of this year’s Chase For the Cup. Five of the six races that can be compared to last year have had increases, with the Talladega race the lone exception.
With that said, this marks the third-lowest rating and viewership for the fall Martinsville race since at least 2000 (excludes rainouts). Only last year and 2010 (2.4, 4.0M) generated lower numbers.
In seven years on ESPN/ABC, ratings for the race have ranged between 2.4 and 3.7. In the previous five years on NBC, ratings ranged from 4.0 to 4.7.
(Sun. numbers from ESPN)
