It looks like after pure interest in the sport allowed Nascar to coast for six years without having to do too much work but provide its product, it looks like those days may be over and they'll have to ramp up their marketing efforts to stop the slow drain of viewer; both at the event and on TV. For the current TV season, the last 10 Nascar races have dropped by 10%.
This has been the trend for the entire season as 31 of the 36 races have drawn fewer ratings than in 2005.
"This is the time for Nascar to set the stage for next year," said the chief marketing officer for one large sponsor. "I do think there's a sense of taking measures or precautions to nip this thing in the bud before it gets out of hand, so 
to speak."
I don't think this is really a huge problem for Nascar. There is no way any sport can continue to grow at the rates that Nascar has been growing in popularity. Eventually there is a time of a correction and taking a breather, and I think that's what this is for Nascar.
That being said, I don't think they can assume any longer that growth will come from its current practices. They will need to be more aggressive and proactive in their marketing efforts if they want to continue growth. It's not like they're in any huge trouble in the sport, just changing in how they must approach the business.
But with the huge contract they recently signed with ABC/ESPN, which is around 40% higher than the former deal with NBC and Fox, ABC has to be a little nervous about whether this slide will continue or if it's just a short-term blip in the ratings.
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