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We think that NASCAR and the Sprint Car Series has an opportunity, right now, to turn things around in the ratings. The sanction should let the drivers be themselves much like Kyle Busch as last weekend at Pocono when he destroyed an expensive custom built guitar. Much like some the rock stars do in their performances on stage. His explanation was that he wanted to give his winning crew a memento. Some of what we are talking about is drivers and crewman involved in some on track controversy including physical contact.

Recently performance issues on the part of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano were at the top of the chart for the media and the race fans that follow the NASCAR Cup races.

A long time race watcher and former pit crewman for a top Cup team gave us his take on why Junior is having problems. “He’s consistently using up the car too early. He should just stay with the leaders and make his move at the end of the race.”

However, this past weekend’s Cup race at Dega did see Jr. around at the end of the race. But he was unable to capitalize on making the breaks go his way and had to settle for second. Either way it was a big improvement and maybe his luck is changing for the better.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX once again dominated weekend sports coverage. That Sunday’s (3/1) race from Las Vegas Motor Speedway scored as the most-watched and highest-rated weekend sports event giving NASCAR on FOX that distinction for the third consecutive week.

Sunday’s victory by hometown favorite Kyle Busch averaged 11.1 million viewers (6.5/12 national rating/share) towering over the next closest event, ABC’s Lakers/Suns broadcast, which recorded 4.7 million viewers (3.1/6).

Image by Icon Sports Media

FOX Sports’ coverage of the AUTOCLUB 500 Presented by Quaker State on Sunday evening (2/22) was the top-rated, most-watched sports event of the week and was one of the highest-rated prime time programs among several popular demographic categories, including adults 18-49.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the race posted a 6.0/10 national household rating/share, with 10.2 million viewers watching, by far the highest-rated and most-watched sports event of the week. Placing a distant second was Sunday’s final round of the Northern Trust Open on CBS (3.7/7, 4.8 million viewers).

Right now NASCAR could use some good news. It would be timely for NASCAR and Junior if they could catch a break and Junior pulls off a win in this weekend’s Cup race at Vegas. The media and fans have been hammering him for his Daytona performance. We are not so sure that any of his fans have turned against him. Let’s face it every driver hits a slump and he’s in one now. Even his late father, Dale, Sr., had his troubles but he toughed it out. We think that Junior’s got the same intestinal fortitude as his dad. And he’s hungry for a win in the near term.

(Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media)

The Homestead Overnight TV ratings were down: ABC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Ford 400 Sprint Cup season finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway earned an overnight Nielsen Media Research rating of 3.6, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal reports. The figure is 5.3 percent less than the 3.8 ABC earned overnight for the 2007 race. This came from SceneDaily, Jayski.com and StockcarGazette.com.

The ratings for Homestead might have been better if a driver other than Jimmy Johnson had it all locked up.

The Texas overnight TV Ratings were down a bit: ABC’s broadcast of Sunday’s Dickies 500 Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway earned an overnight Nielsen Media Research rating of 3.4 with a 6 share. ABC earned a 3.6 overnight rating in 2007 for the race last year and a 3.7 final rating. This report came from the Jayski.com and StockCarGazette.com webpages.

Sponsors of NASCAR, the No. 2 sport on U.S. television after professional football, are slamming on the brakes because of the world’s financial crisis.

General Motors Corp., Chrysler Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Chevron Corp. will cut or drop sponsorships next season. Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner was forced out of the stock-car series by a lack of sponsors.

Teams with family names revered in stock car racing like Petty, Waltrip and Earnhardt may enter 2009 with unfunded cars. The circuit might even have trouble filling 43-car fields.