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Perhaps it's the lack of overall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic, but NASCAR's Sunday’s Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC earned a 2.67 rating and 4.34 million viewers, according to NBC Sports, a dramatic increase over last year's ratings.
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That viewership number is up 46 percent from last year’s Brickyard 400 race, which aired in September at the same time as NFL games. Viewership increased by more than 1 million from last year's July 4 weekend race.
It was the second-most viewed NASCAR race since the sport returned from hiatus due to the Pandemic. (NASCAR’s return race at Darlington averaged 6.32 million viewers.). At the time, BetOnline's Dave Mason noted that race was among the top ten most wagered on in the history of his betting firm. This suggests ratings and wagers go hand-in-hand when it comes to NASCAR.
There are some, including the President of the United States, who have suggested that a ban on the confederate flag has resulted in decreased ratings.
US President Donald Trump tweeted out Monday;
"Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!"
In regard to Wallace, an African American driver, NASCAR announced that a noose found in the garage stall of Wallace’s No. 43 team at Talladega Superspeedway was determined not to be a hate crime. Wallace himself did not discover the noose.
After the ban was announced the morning before NASCAR’s Cup Series race at Martinsville, television ratings on FS1 increased 16 percent compared to previous weeknight NASCAR Cup Race at Charlotte, according to FOX Sports.
There was one qualifier that needed to be taken into account in regard to the proclaimed "ratings surge" Sunday however.
Sporting News points out that Sunday's race was the second-lowest watched and rated Brickyard 400 ever (excluding rainouts, per SMW), topping only last year's race. Compared to the last time the Brickyard 400 was run in July (the 2017 race), Sunday's ratings were down 21 percent and viewership was off 23 percent.
Nascar 2020 Drivers Championship Odds July 12
Kevin Harvick
+350
Kyle Busch
+600
Chase Elliott
+600
Denny Hamlin
+600
Martin Truex Jr
+800
Joey Logano
+800
Brad Keselowski
+800
Ryan Blaney
+900
Alex Bowman
+1600
Kurt Busch
+2000
Jimmie Johnson
+2000
William Byron
+3300
Aric Almirola
+3300
Erik Jones
+4000
Clint Bowyer
+4000
Tyler Reddick
+6600
Matt DiBenedetto
+8000
Ryan Newman
+15000
Austin Dillon
+15000
Christopher Bell
+20000
Cole Custer
+20000
Chris Buescher
+25000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
+25000
Darrell Wallace Jr
+25000
Corey LaJoie
+50000
Quinn Houff
+50000
Ty Dillon
+50000
Ryan Preece
+50000
John Hunter Nemechek
+50000
Michael McDowell
+50000
