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NNSracing.com
The final final national household coverage rating for the May 6 NASCAR Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 at Darlington Raceway was down 9.1 percent, according to figures released by ESPN.
The race, telecast live on ESPN2, earned a final rating of 1.0 (with a 0.9 U.S. rating), while last year's event earned a 1.1. The race averaged 1,351,148 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company.
ESPN reports that Nationwide Series ratings across ESPN networks are up 15 percent from this point last season.
See the full ratings chart here.
2011 Nationwide Series Television Ratings
| Race | 2011 | 2010 | % Change | Network |
| Daytona 1 | 2.4 | 3.2 | -25 | ESPN2 |
| Phoenix 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | +50 | ESPN2 |
| Las Vegas | 2.2 | 1.8 | +22.2 | ABC |
| Bristol 1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | -6.3 | ESPN/ABC |
| California | 1.6 | N/A | N/A | ESPN |
| Texas 1 | 1.1 | N/A | N/A | ESPN2 |
| Talladega | 2.1 | 1.3 | +61.5 | ESPN2 |
| Nashville 1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | +36.4 | ESPN |
| Richmond 1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | N/A | Speed |
| Darlington | 1.0 | 1.1 | -9.1 | ESPN2 |