A weak season for NASCAR on FOX continued with the lowest overnight from Talladega in at least sixteen years.

Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Aaron’s 499 from Talladega earned a 4.0 overnight rating on FOX, down 9% from last year (4.4), down 15% from 2012 (4.7), and the lowest overnight for the spring Talladega race since at least 1998. The previous low was set last year.

The multi-year low comes on the heels of the two lowest overnights in NASCAR on FOX history — Darlington’s 3.2 and Richmond’s 3.0. So far this season, FOX has earned its lowest overnights ever at Daytona, Phoenix*, Martinsville, Las Vegas, Darlington, Richmond and Talladega, and its second-lowest overnight at Fontana.

Despite the lower numbers, Sunday’s race earned the fourth-highest overnight of the weekend for a sporting event on broadcast or cable, trailing only three NBA Game 7s — Grizzlies/Thunder on TNT (4.1), Warriors/Clippers on TNT (4.3), and Mavericks/Spurs on ABC (4.9). Because final ratings for NASCAR tend to rise from the overnights, it is entirely possible that the race will end up having been the top sporting event of the week when the final numbers are released.

* The Phoenix race earned the lowest overnight for the second race of the season since FOX acquired rights. Previously, the second race of the season took place from Fontana (2005-10) and Rockingham (prior to 2005).

(Weekend overnights from Sports Business Daily)