NASCAR was no competition for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Sunday’s Food City 500 drew a 4.1/9 overnight rating on FOX, down 18% from a 5.0/11 for last year’s race, and the lowest overnight rating for a NASCAR race this season. Keep in mind that last year’s Food City 500 did not air opposite the NCAA Tournament.
The 18% decline continues an ominous trend for NASCAR, which has seen overnight ratings for all five of its races drop double-digits this season.
The 4.1 overnight is easily the lowest for the Food City 500 since the race moved to FOX in 2001. Prior to Sunday, the previous low for the race came in 2007, when it drew a 4.9 opposite the NCAA Regional Finals.
So far this season, five NASCAR races on FOX have averaged a 5.5 overnight rating, down 15% from a 6.5 through the same five races a year ago.
Overnight ratings for the Food City 500.
| Year | Date | Time | Net | Winner | Rating |
| 2009 | Sun., 3/22/09 | 2:15 PM | FOX | Busch | 4.1/9 |
| 2008 | Sun., 3/16/08 | 2:15 PM | FOX | Burton | 5.0/11 |
| 2007 | Sun., 3/25/07 | 2:15 PM | FOX | Busch | 4.9/11 |
| 2006 | Sun., 3/26/06 | 2:30 PM | FOX | Busch | 5.3/11 |
| 2005 | Sun., 4/3/05 | 1:30 PM | FOX | Harvick | 5.6/13 |
| 2004 | Sun., 3/28/04 | 1:00 PM | FOX | Busch | 5.2/12 |
| 2003 | Sun., 3/23/03 | 1:15 PM | FOX | Busch | 5.1/11 |
| 2002 | Sun., 3/24/02 | 1:00 PM | FOX | Busch | 5.6/13 |
| 2001 | Sun., 3/25/01 | 1:00 PM | FOX | Sadler | 5.3/12 |
