NBC could not have asked for a poorer set of circumstances in its return to NASCAR.

Rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Daytona drew a 2.6 overnight rating on NBC late Sunday night, up 8% from last year on TNT, when the race was postponed a full day due to rain (2.4). The race began at 11:15 PM ET and ended after 2 AM. Earlier in the night, rain delay coverage earned a 2.1 overnight.

The last time the Daytona race ended so late in the night was 2005, when NBC drew a much-higher 4.8 overnight from 10 PM-2 AM. The 2005 race, it should be noted, aired on a Saturday night — when it is presumably easier for viewers to stay up late.

As one would expect, the race was dwarfed Sunday night by the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final on FOX (15.2). The two events never aired head-to-head, but the match undoubtedly stole much of the national attention away from the race.

Despite the late start and the competition, NASCAR on NBC was still the second-highest rated sporting event in the metered markets over the weekend — edging the final round of The Greenbrier Classic on CBS (2.5).

(Sun. overnight via ShowBuzz Daily)