It took a while to happen, but the Daytona 500 ended up being a pretty entertaining race, and I'm not just talking about the explosion and fire that involved Juan Pablo Montoya. Here are the ratings figures in as of this morning.
Fox says the Daytona 500 overnight is an impressive 7.7. Last year, on a Sunday afternoon, it was an 8.2. In 2010, it was a 7.0.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) February 28, 2012
But if you were wondering what part of the race had the biggest draw, I think you might have some idea what it was.
Last night's Daytona 500 peaked at a 9.2 rating from 10:00-10:15, right around the time the red flag came out.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) February 28, 2012
The fire had the biggest draw, but it seems like those who turned in just because they got a text from their friends ended up sticking around and watching the race. Those ratings are pretty impressive considering that the race had to happen on a Monday night.
For updates on the Daytona 500 today, keep it locked to the official SB Nation StoryStream. For updates on the go, follow SB Nation Motorsports Editor Jeff Gluck on Twitter. For all things NASCAR, head over to the SB Nation NASCAR hub page.