A 3% rise in ratings is usually nothing to brag about, but it is no doubt cause for celebration for NASCAR.
The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 drew a 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.6 million viewers on TNT Sunday, up 3% in ratings and 2% in viewers from a 3.4 and 5.5 million for last year’s race. This marks the first time all season that a NASCAR race has had an increase in ratings or viewership.
Additionally, this is the first NASCAR race since last September’s Camping World 300 that has had an increase in ratings.
The 3.5 rating is the highest for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 since ’06, but still marks the third-lowest rating for the race since it moved to TNT in ’01.
Ratings for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 since ’99.
Asterisk (*) indicates race had rain-delay; (^): pre-delay, (<): post-delay
| Year | Date | Winner | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sun., 6/28/09 | Logano | TNT | 3.5 (4.1) |
| 2008 | Sun., 6/29/08 | Ku. Busch | TNT | 3.4 (4.0) |
| 2007 | Sun., 7/1/07 | Hamlin | TNT | 3.3 (4.0) |
| 2006 | Sun., 7/16/06 | Ky. Busch | TNT | 3.9 (4.7) |
| 2005 | Sun., 7/17/05 | Stewart | TNT | 4.5 (5.5) |
| 2004 | Sun., 7/25/04 | Ku. Busch | TNT | 4.3 (5.3) |
| 2003 | Sun., 7/20/03 | Johnson | TNT | 3.8 (4.7) |
| 2002 | Sun., 7/21/02 | Burton | TNT | 3.7 (4.6) |
| 2001 | Sun., 7/22/01 | Jarrett | TNT | 4.2 (5.2) |
| 2000* | Sun., 7/9/00 | Stewart | TNN | |
| 1999 | Sun., 7/11/99 | Burton | TNN | 3.1 (4.1) |
Source: Bill Gorman/TV By the Numbers
