After delaying the Firestone 600 at Texas by one day, and then delaying it again to August, IndyCar TV ratings suffered for the 71 laps run.

When it rains on race day, the race fans are the biggest losers in the end. When it rains on two race days, then it becomes a real problem. That was the exact problem the Verizon IndyCar Series faced at Texas Motor Speedway, where only 71 laps would be completed of the Firestone 600 before the race would be delayed to August due to rain.

Television was certainly not on the side of IndyCar this weekend either, with the series TV ratings suffering for the rain delays, and for issues outside of their control. Coverage began on Saturday night on NBCSN, even with the rain and wet track threatening and eventually postponing the event to Sunday afternoon. Rain delay coverage on Saturday night earned a 0.22 rating per ShowBuzzDaily, with 286,000 viewers reported. Just 51,000 of them were in the coveted 18-49 demographic.

Once the race was set to get underway on Sunday, other matters complicated the coverage of the event. The tragic mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando led to a shuffling of events on the NBC networks, with Formula One moving to NBCSN, and IndyCar to CNBC. The move was made at the last minute, likely adding to the issue of a lowered number of viewers on Sunday. During the 71 laps that were run, just 86,000 viewers were tuned in, with 21,000 in the demo, some of the most anemic viewership numbers for a live IndyCar race in a while.

The IndyCar TV ratings over the weekend reflected the mess that was occurring at Texas Motor Speedway. With a wet track, threatening skies, and questions surrounding weepers and whether or not spots of the track could be dried out, it does not surprise many that fans tuned out, especially with the understandable focus turning to the national tragedy in Florida. One can only hope the series can salvage the numbers when the race resumes at the end of August.

Were you watching the coverage between the raindrops on NBCSN or CNBC? What did you think of the coverage from the team at Texas? Will you be tuning back in to see the conclusion of the event in August? Send us your thoughts here or on social media.