Unlike team sports where venues and player uniforms aren't drenched in corporate logos, NASCAR's action provides hours of exposure for sponsors. And unlike MLB and the NBA, which pocket of TV viewers throughout the week with local and regional TV games, NASCAR's big national Sprint Cup Sunday showdowns aren't just a big piece of the TV pie — they're nearly the whole pie itself.

So it's noteworthy that NASCAR this season finished with its Cup ratings down nearly across the board. The breakdown:

•ABC's races averaged 3.5% of U.S. TV households, down 5% from last year — and down 8% from two years ago.

•Before that, TNT's races averaged 3.3% — down 8% from both 2008 and 2007 levels.

•Fox, which has early season coverage, averaged 5.1%, down 10% from last year and 9% from 2007.

•The trend-bucker: ESPN's coverage was up slightly from last year, but down slight from 2007.

Sports ratings bob, tweaked by vagaries such as events being rained out or going into overtime. But for a sport historically known for its consistent ratings, and facing recession-related challenges to its sponsorships and attendance, this can't be spun into anything but bad news.

Has NASCAR's TV appeal peaked? Elements that could turn around ratings around include Danica Patrick— still good for plenty of hype — possibly showing up on the circuit next year. Or NASCAR getting more Formula One drivers such as Juan Pablo Montoya, who starred this year. And while any sport wants a superstar — such as Jimmie Johnson, who this season won his fourth consecutive Cup title — that star gets bigger if somebody steps up to become a steady rival. See Ali/Frazier or Evert/Navratilova.

NASCAR next season goes from its current hodgepodge of start times to consistency starts, with races in Eastern and Central time zones going at 1 p.m. ET, West Coast races at 3 p.m. ET and night races at 7:30 p.m. ET. Consistency usually helps TV viewers develop habits and the 1 p.m. ET start times could help keep NASCAR fans from wandering to NFL action in the fall. But it might cost NASCAR some West Coast viewers. Says NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, in what might be an example of underpromising to end up overdelivering: "There's very little belief that consistent start times will translate into ratings boosts."

Poston, who this season criticized ESPN/ABC announcers for not being perky enough on-air, suggests teamwork can help: "It's hard to say what affect the gang in the booth has on ratings. … But broadcasters should accentuate the positive."

Because NASCAR could be at a TV ratings crossroads.