Talladega Nationwide ratings score big jump

ESPN on ABC's live telecast of Saturday's Aarons 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega ( Ala.) Superspeedway scored big increases in ratings and household impressions over last year's race, continuing an upward trend to series TV numbers in 2008.

The race earned a 2.6 rating and 2,962,000 household impressions, increases of 28 and 29 percent, respectively, over the same categories for last year's ABC telecast (2.1; 2,291,000). The event also earned the largest numbers for a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on the ESPN networks since live NASCAR racing returned to ESPN in 2007, eclipsing the previous high of 2.4/2,699,000 for the March, 2007, event from Las Vegas that aired on ABC.

The Talladega telecast also earned large increases across the board in important demographic categories, increasing 67 percent in males 18-34, 50 percent in males 55 and older and 44 percent in persons 55 and older.

Cable ratings for the series have also increased in 2008. The average rating for the five NASCAR Nationwide Series events that have aired on ESPN2 is 1.9, a 10 percent increase over the 1.7 from this point last season. ESPN2 numbers do not include the rain-delayed event from California Speedway in February that was run on a Monday.