HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- NASCAR's tightest championship race in seven years hasn't been enough to bolster the sport's sagging television ratings.
Denny Hamlin is 15 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson and 46 points up on Kevin Harvick going into Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But television ratings have been down for all nine races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Some, including Harvick, have speculated that it's because fans are tired of watching Johnson dominate.
But the four-time defending champion says he's not to blame for NASCAR's ratings decline.
Johnson says if people want to point the finger at him, that's fine, but NASCAR's problems started before his dominating run.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH