ESPN yesterday drew a 2.9 overnight rating for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 from Miami-Homestead Speedway, which saw driver Kevin Harvick win his first NSCS title. This season was the first under a revamped Chase format that saw four drivers -- Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman -- enter Sunday with a chance at the title. The rating from yesterday's race is up 7% from a 2.7 overnight last year, when Jimmie Johnson won his sixth title. The ’12 finale, which saw Brad Keselowski win the title, also drew a 2.7. ESPN’s telecast yesterday was down 26% from a 3.7 overnight for Tony Stewart’s win in ’11 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
FOND FAREWELL: MOTORSPORT.com's Steven Cole Smith writes the race was a "pretty decent farewell for ESPN," which concluded its eight-year run as a NASCAR rights holder last night. Dale Jarrett has "really developed into a good broadcaster," and Allen Bestwick "signed off for all the ESPN anchor teams, including Bob Jenkins, Larry Nuber and Benny Parsons." However, Smith writes he "would have liked to see a little more about what was going on with the other 39 cars in the race" outside of the four Chase finalists. Smith: "A tip of the hat to ESPN and Motor Racing Network for mostly avoiding what I was afraid we'd be hearing constantly from lap two on: 'If the race ended
right now, the points would look like this...'" (
MOTORSPORT.com, 11/17).
