This year's Daytona 500 featured its smallest viewing audience in three years, and the race's TV ratings dropped more than 10 percent from 2004 in many major cities, including several in the Southeast.

Those numbers follow other signs that NASCAR's growth has stalled. TV ratings dropped for nearly every Nextel Cup race last season. A recent ESPN Sport Poll states that NASCAR's fan base fell 3 percent from last year, the second consecutive year it has dropped.

"I wouldn't start the services yet for NASCAR," said Bray Cary, a former NASCAR broadcast executive.

While NASCAR officials confront this downturn, they can note that the Daytona 500's TV ratings haven't dipped as much as other major sporting events since 2001. Ratings for the World Series, the NBA Finals, the final round of the Masters and the NCAA men's basketball championship game dropped by at least 28 percent, while the race's rating increased 1 percent.

That can comfort NASCAR as it struggles to reach the nation's top TV markets.

New York's ratings for the Daytona 500 are down nearly 13 percent since 2004. Los Angeles is down 40 percent; Chicago down 30 percent. Ten of the top 15 markets showed at least a 10 percent decline in ratings for the Daytona race during the same time period.

The Southeast -- NASCAR's traditional stronghold -- also shows a downturn. Atlanta, Greensboro and Norfolk are among cities where Daytona 500 ratings dropped more than 10 percent since 2004. Even with the drop, Greensboro ranked second nationally to Greenville, S.C., in ratings for this year's 500.

Daytona 500 ratings matter because the race draws NASCAR's largest audience. Nielsen Media Research states that an average audience of 17.5 million people watched this year's Daytona 500. That's the lowest total since 16.8 million viewed the 2003 race.

TV ratings are important because they fuel the sport. Higher ratings mean increased viewership, which allows the series to charge networks more in rights fees. Fox, TNT, ESPN/ABC and Speed will pay an estimated $4.5 billion combined to air NASCAR races from this season through 2014.

Cary, who negotiated NASCAR's TV contract that moved a majority of Cup races to the networks for the first time in 2001, admits there could be concern with NASCAR's overall ratings.

"If you put together the trend from last year over the next two or three years, then I think you've got a problem," said Cary, president and CEO of West Virginia Media, a multimedia communications company. "But I don't see that."

Cary cites two reasons for the ratings dip. He echoes NASCAR's refrain, questioning if NBC promoted the series as much last fall when it was in its final year of broadcasting Cup races. While hard-core fans will know where to find races each weekend, casual fans need prodding.

Ads during prime time network programming or with other events can help guide them to the race broadcast.

Cary also said that influx of new drivers remains unfamiliar to some fans. Cary said that it can take fans time to build as strong attachments to new drivers as veterans.

He blames this driver transition for a slip in the Southeast's ratings. He admits the ratings could become a concern if they continue to slide because the Southeast represents NASCAR's core fan base.

"You never want your core to go away," Cary said.

It's Dick Glover's job as NASCAR's vice president for broadcasting and new media to make sure that more people watch NASCAR. He must do so as stock-car racing competes against other channels and events for fans.

That competition is even among NASCAR entities. DirecTV dedicates a channel for each of five drivers every race, affording fans who purchase the package more coverage of their driver than on network television. Sirius Satellite Radio airs the radio communication between driver and crew chief for 10 teams each race. Race video also is available on NASCAR.com.

So many options. So many ways to reach fans, old and new.

"The issue for us is to clearly market the sport to the casual sports fan and to the hard-core NASCAR fan to keep deepening that loyalty," Glover said. "That's why it is significant that when you look [at ratings] over four years. Looking [at] one year and one market doesn't matter. Do it four years and 25 or 50 markets you look at, you say, 'OK we continue to have to market the sport harder and harder.'"