All eyes will be on the Daytona 500, also known as the great American race, this weekend. Or will they? ESPN took a poll early Friday and the results are an eye opener. The question from its morning show, "First Take," asks: "Which event will you spend the most time watching this weekend?" NBA All-Star Game, Daytona 500, college basketball.
If you said Daytona 500, then go to the back of the line like Dale Earnhardt Jr., the pole sitter who starts 43rd because he crashed in practice Wednesday.
Here are the nationwide results: NBA All-Star Game 44%; Daytona 500 18%; college basketball, 37%.
The poll drew 61,954 responders. Here is the link: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls The poll comes with a map that shows not a single state, including Florida, had the Daytona 500 on top.
The NBA All-Star game was selected by 51% of the Sunshine State responders, with 25% choosing the Daytona 500 and 24% opting for college basketball.
The results were even worse for NASCAR in North Carolina, considered the other home base for motorsports with Charlotte, the Daytona 500 finished last with 23% support. The big winner was college basketball at 47%, with the NBA All-Star game coming in second at 30%.
The Great American Race fared the worst in Utah with only 7% favoring the Daytona 500.
Regardless of the ESPN poll, NASCAR's Daytona 500 remains the signature race worldwide and will be a ratings winner for FOX.
The All-Star game, of course, is a TV ratings draw, too, in Central Florida with Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard as the starting center for the NBA's Eastern Conference.