Ratings and viewership dropped for NASCAR from Watkins Glen over the weekend, even though last year’s race aired opposite the Olympics.

Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Cheez It 355 at the Glen drew a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.2 million viewers on ESPN, down 4% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year’s race, which aired opposite the Olympics (2.8, 4.5M). The 2011 race was postponed due to rain.

Excluding rainouts, the race was the lowest rated since at least 1999 and the least-viewed since at least 2001. The previous lows were set last year.

Of note, the previous week’s race from Pennsylvania was the second-lowest rated since at least 1998, and the July 28 Brickyard 400 was the second-lowest rated ever.

For the season, Sunday’s telecast had the second-weakest performance of the season for a regular Sprint Cup points race — ahead of only the Quaker State 400 from Kentucky on TNT (2.6, 4.0M).

Thanks to the lower numbers, NASCAR ranked only as the sixth-highest rated and ninth-most viewed cable program of the week.

(Sun. numbers from ESPN)