Texas TV ratings show night time not necessarily the right time for NASCAR

After years of flat to falling television ratings, NASCAR had looked like it finally stabilized its viewership numbers – until Saturday.

The overnight TV ratings from the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway earned a 3.5 rating. That was the by far the lowest rating for a race this season, and it was also the lowest ever for a spring race at Texas.

The lowest overnight rating of the season before Texas was 4.0, which happened the previous week at Martinsville. For Texas, specifically, Saturday’s overnight ratings were down from 3.6 last year, and they were a 5-percent drop from the 3.7 rating the spring Texas race got in 2011.

In fact, Saturday’s race was one of the least-watched races in the 12 years FOX has broadcast NASCAR races.

And that had to be shocking to Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage, who boasted the benefits of a primetime race March 3 during the track’s Media Day sessions.

"There’s that feel that’s special about a Saturday night under the lights," Gossage said. "The cars look better at night, they’re faster, they bottom out with a full load of fuel and when they bang together and whatnot you see sparks. It’s just a different look at night. It’s cool stuff."

Unfortunately, a relatively small television crowd saw all of that cool stuff. More at Monday Morning Crew Chief