In a season of lows, NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup got off to a record-low start on NBCSN.

NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Chicago, the first race in the Chase For the Cup, earned 3.2 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday afternoon — down 13% from last year on ESPN (3.7M). The 2013 race was delayed multiple times due to rain and moved from ESPN to ESPN2, averaging 2.7 million across the two networks.

Excluding rainouts, Sunday’s race ranks as the least-watched Chase For the Cup telecast ever (109 telecasts dating back to 2004). The previous low was 3.5 million for New Hampshire in 2012. The 30 least-watched Chase races have each aired on cable.

It also ranks as the least-watched edition of NASCAR’s Chicago race (dates back to 2001). The previous low, again excluding rainouts, was last year’s 3.7 million. A decade ago, the race hit the 9.0 million mark on the NBC broadcast network.

All 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup races on cable this season have either hit a record-low or been the least-watched in more than a decade. It should be noted that new NASCAR cable partners NBCSN and Fox Sports 1 are in fewer homes than previous broadcasters ESPN and TNT were last year.

(Sun. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)