Sprint Cup: TNT Ends “Summer Series� With Slight Increase

For the second straight year, ratings and viewership inched up for NASCAR’s summer race at New Hampshire.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Camping World RV Sales 301 from New Hampshire earned a 3.2 U.S. rating and 4.9 million viewers on TNT Sunday afternoon, up 3% in ratings and viewership from last year (3.1, 4.8M), and up 10% and 8%, respectively, from 2011 (2.9, 4.6M).

The 3.2 rating is the highest for the race since 2009 (3.5).

Sunday’s race was the second of the NASCAR on TNT “Summer Series" to have an increase over last year. The other was the rain-delayed June 30 race from Kentucky.

In addition, the race was the second-highest rated and second-most viewed of the six-week package, trailing only the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona (3.5, 5.7M).

For the week, Sunday’s race ranked second in ratings and viewership on cable, trailing only TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles" (3.7, 5.6M).

(Sun. numbers from Bloomberg, Media Life Magazine)