Danica helps Daytona 500 TV Ratings

Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway earned a 10.0 overnight rating on FOX, up 30% from last year's Monday night race (7.7), and up 22% from 2011 (8.2). According to FOX, the 10.0 overnight is the best for the Daytona 500 since the 2006 race on NBC. That 2006 race had a lead-in from the Winter Olympics and finished as the highest rated and most-viewed Daytona 500 ever. Unlike other sporting events, such as the NBA or Major League Baseball, final ratings for NASCAR typically increase from the overnight. Over the past five years, final ratings for the race have risen between 4% and 15% from the overnight, putting Sunday's race on pace to finish in the 10.4-11.5 range. The record-setting 2006 race had an 11.3 final rating.

Overnight Rating/Share (average of largest 56 US markets): 10.0/22

– Up +30% over last year 7.7/13

– Best year-to-year increase among the metered markets for Daytona 500 ever

– Best metered market rating for the Daytona 500 since 2006 on NBC (10.1/20)

– Top five metered markets: Greensboro (21.2), Indianapolis (20.5), Charlotte (20.3), Jacksonville (19.6) and Dayton (19.1)

– The race opened at an 8.6/20 between 1:30 – 2:00 PM ET and peaked at final exciting laps of the race averaging a massive 12.8/26 from 4:30 – 4:45 PM ET

Fast national ratings will be available later this afternoon FOX