UAW-Dodge 400 scores highest TV rating in LVMS history

UPDATE More viewers tuned in to watch Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400 than any other race in Las Vegas Motor Speedway history. The 11th annual event drew a 7.1 final national rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous high rating was a 7.0 in 2002. It was also the fifth most-watched non-Daytona race in NASCAR history. The race's rating increased nearly 13 percent from last year's 6.3. The UAW-Dodge 400 was the highest-rated NASCAR event, excluding the Daytona 500, in two years. This was the eighth consecutive year the event was televised by FOX Sports. "Each year the Las Vegas NASCAR Sprint Cup race has been in the top five in television ratings, but this year's TV audience was extraordinary," said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. "There's an excitement level around Las Vegas that makes this event a must-see for many race fans. We're very proud of the role our facility plays in the overall success of the sport." The UAW-Dodge 400 was the highest-rated sporting event of the weekend. It easily outdistanced other events such as the NBA's Lakers-Magic (3.4) and Bulls-Cavaliers (2.3) games, the PGA Tour's Honda Classic (2.4) and the NCAA's Tennessee-Kentucky (1.9) and Duke-N.C. State (1.6) men's basketball games. The NASCAR Sprint Cup event also saw huge gains in some key NASCAR markets as the event earned increased ratings in Detroit (38 percent), Chicago (35 percent) and Los Angeles (30 percent). Saturday's Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide race drew a 2.1 rating on ESPN2. It was the highest cable rating for a Sam's Town 300 at LVMS, but can't be compared to last year's event, which aired on ABC Sports. The 2.1 rating was much higher than the 2007 average of 1.4 for NASCAR Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series events.

03/03/08 The overnight TV Rating on FOX for Sunday's UAW 400 from Las Vegas was a 6.2/12 share, up 12.7% over last year's 5.5/11 share overnight rating.