TV ratings for Fontana down 6 percent vs. 2009

The Auto Club 500 on Sunday drew a 5.0 overnight rating on FOX, down 6 percent from a 5.3 last year, and down 18 percent from a 6.1 for the rained-out 2008 race.

The 5.0 overnight is the lowest for the Fontana race since moving to its current February date in 2005, and the lowest for the race overall since '03 (4.9).

The start of this year's race was moved up three hours, to 3 p.m. ET, as part of NASCAR's effort to return to traditional start times.

The Fontana race is the second consecutive race to begin the season with a lower rating. The Daytona 500 drew a 7.7/16 fast-national rating and 13.3 million viewers on FOX -- down 16 percent in ratings and 17 percent in viewers from last year (9.2, 16.0 million), and down 25 percent in ratings and viewership from 2008 (10.2/20, 17.8 million).

It marked the lowest rated Daytona 500 since 1991 (7.6, CBS), and the least-viewed since 2000 (12.9 million, CBS).