Some interesting ratings came out of NASCAR‘s trip to Richmond over the weekend. While the ratings saw a slight dip from last year’s race, the viewership actually saw a minor uptick for the Cook Out 400.
Per Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, NASCAR received a 1.41 rating for Sunday’s Cup Series race. That was down from the 2022 event, which posted a rating of 1.45.
In the viewership category, NASCAR actually saw an increase for the Cook Out 400. This year, the race brought in 2.430 million viewers compared to last year’s 2.390 million.
This year’s race at Richmond was run a little earlier, going on July 30. Last year, the event was scheduled for mid-August.
Those who tuned in for Sunday’s race witnessed a fun event. Chris Buescher took home his first checkered flag of the 2023 Cup Series season, also recording his ninth top-10 finish and fourth time landing in the top-five.
Buscher now sits 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
Denny Hamlin finished second and Kyle Busch crossed the finish line in third. Joey Logano and Ryan Preece rounded out the top-five at the Cook Out 400.
Just four races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, meaning things are heating up on the track. The last four events before the playoffs include:
- Aug. 6: FireKeepers Casino 400 — Michigan International Speedway
- Aug. 13: Verizon 200 from the Brickyard — Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Aug. 20: Go Bowling at the Glen — Watkins Glen International
- Aug. 26: Coke Zero Sugar 400 — Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series Standings
The NASCAR standings are full of storylines and battles. Up at the top with 744 points, Martin Turex Jr. has taken a 39-point lead for the regular season championship. Bolstered by his three wins, eight top-5s, and 12 top-10s – Truex is the only driver in the top-5 without multiple DNFs.
Now, Denny Hamlin has moved into second place in the standings with 705 points. William Byron is four points back from that in third and then there is a big gap of 48 points to Christopher Bell in fourth. Kyle Busch rounds out the top-5 with 648 points.
Chris Buescher locked himself into the playoffs with his win at Richmond. It was a really strong performance as he held the field off on the final restart. His boss Brad Keselowski has not had a win this season. However, he is more than fine in the points standings and should be moving on to the postseason.
So, we have 12 winners in the postseason with four spots up for grabs in the last four races. With no surprise winners outside of the top-16 in points yet, the playoff field is shaping up. Still, one has to think that at least one driver like Chase Elliott or Alex Bowman, perhaps AJ Allmendinger could take a checkered flag and one of those limited spots in the playoffs.