[Bob Tanner]

This story, from SPEEDTV.com, just says it all.

Series TV ratings continue upward surge: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Atlanta scored a Nielsen Household Rating of 1.00 (732,000 households), a dramatic 79-percent increase from last year's .56 (410,000 households). As a growing number of race fans continue to tune in to the closest points race in all of NASCAR's top three national divisions, the Atlanta race peaked at a rating of 1.17 (855,000 households), up 44 percent from last year's peak of .81 (588,000 households). The Atlanta numbers mark the sixth time this season that Truck Racing on SPEED has hit or surpassed a full 1.00 rating and the 16th time Nielsen ratings have increased year-to-year on SPEED. Younger audiences continue to tune into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing on SPEED, as ratings for Men 18-49 were up 84 percent from Atlanta and ratings for Men 18-34 were up 92 percent.(SPEEDtv.com)(10-28-200

The sentence about youthful viewers is especially interesting to me. It shows that there is, indeed, a worthwhile youthful audience out there that wants racing, not personalities. The increasing figures in CTS seem as though this new group is wholly dissatisfied with the pablum they call "racing" in Cup.

Maybe there is, indeed, hope?

[Quality88]

I have another thought..... not discreditin that the CTS isn't the best racin, because it is the best racin bar none. I have two thoughts that could have helped the ratings some.

1. Kyle Busch tryin to be undefeated in a truck at Atlanta
2. Ryan Newman runnin his first truck race.

Now I believe these two facts helped the ratings,but after some thought, not to the dramatics that you have produced.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

I have another thought..... not discreditin that the CTS isn't the best racin, because it is the best racin bar none. I have two thoughts that could have helped the ratings some.

1. Kyle Busch tryin to be undefeated in a truck at Atlanta
2. Ryan Newman runnin his first truck race.

Now I believe these two facts helped the ratings,but after some thought, not to the dramatics that you have produced.

I see your point and thought about how your two factors might have increased the ratings, but...

• The rating, as noted, has been on a constant rise. If I am correct here, this is just the continuation of a trend.

• Were enough people actually aware of Shrub's attempt at an undefeated record, or at Ryan's first CTS ride; were there enough to affect the ratings? I don't know.

But, your observations could very well be correct. Probably are, as a matter of fact, but I don't know the extend.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

But, your observations could very well be correct. Probably are, as a matter of fact, but I don't know the extend.

That's my thoughts... I don't know to what extent.

[jks812]

I think Kyle trying to go undefeated and Ryan starting his 1st truck race may have helped the ratings at Atlanta. But since they don't do that every weekend and the ratings keep going up, I don't think it was the biggest reason for the increase.

[mccastle]

I try and watch the truck races when they are on but one of the reasons I really wanted to watch on Saturday was because of Ryan. It is the first thing I thought of when I read the initial post. It does seem unusual that viewership has jumped up so much.

[Bob Tanner]

Colour me sadistic, but I just couldn't resist throwing this article in.

From jayski:
"Final Atlanta TV Ratings down: ABC's coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway earned a final national rating of 3.6, down from the 4.0 the race earned last year when it also was telecast on ABC. The race averaged 5,611,102 viewers. Ratings for the Chase for the Sprint Cup on ABC are even with last year at an average of 3.8 through seven races.(ESPN), see TV Ratings Chart and new from each race on my 2008 TV Ratings page.(10-31-200 Comment here


855,000 viewers for CTS vs. 5,611,102 for Cup viewers may seem like a large disparity but when you consider the network promotion, the NA__AR hype, the money and the overall effort poured into Cup, as opposed to CTS, Cups' results are pitiful.

[Bob Tanner]

I just read the TV ratings were down (again) for the Sunday Cup race. Has anyone seen the TV ratings for the Friday nite CTS?

Wonder if they were up or down?

Wondr if NA__AR will publish them? (Especially if they were up)

[logano-fan]

Just saw a phenomenal CTS race

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by logano-fan

Just saw a phenomenal CTS race

Yep ... great to see drivers race. maybe it'll catch on someday.

[Racer Duck]

even more than a "RACE", I saw a driver give up his chance at a win in order to help his manufacturer get the driving championship. he pushed the champ, he pulled the champ, he even ran interference for the champ. he did everything but go get the checkered flag and bring it to the champ. and he wasn't even in a team car...

I won't say who it was, 'cause anybody who saw the race knows and those that didn't see it, wouldn't believe it anyway. the announcers didn't believe it 'cause they kept getting confused about what was going on .. thinking the helper was actually racing the champ!

[jks812]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

even more than a "RACE", I saw a driver give up his chance at a win in order to help his manufacturer get the driving championship. he pushed the champ, he pulled the champ, he even ran interference for the champ. he did everything but go get the checkered flag and bring it to the champ. and he wasn't even in a team car...

I won't say who it was, 'cause anybody who saw the race knows and those that didn't see it, wouldn't believe it anyway. the announcers didn't believe it 'cause they kept getting confused about what was going on .. thinking the helper was actually racing the champ!

They sure couldn't make their minds if he was helping or not, but he sure did. I have to admit I was kinda surprised myself.

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

This story, from SPEEDTV.com, just says it all.

Series TV ratings continue upward surge: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Atlanta scored a Nielsen Household Rating of 1.00 (732,000 households), a dramatic 79-percent increase from last year's .56 (410,000 households). As a growing number of race fans continue to tune in to the closest points race in all of NASCAR's top three national divisions, the Atlanta race peaked at a rating of 1.17 (855,000 households), up 44 percent from last year's peak of .81 (588,000 households). The Atlanta numbers mark the sixth time this season that Truck Racing on SPEED has hit or surpassed a full 1.00 rating and the 16th time Nielsen ratings have increased year-to-year on SPEED. Younger audiences continue to tune into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing on SPEED, as ratings for Men 18-49 were up 84 percent from Atlanta and ratings for Men 18-34 were up 92 percent.(SPEEDtv.com)(10-28-200

The sentence about youthful viewers is especially interesting to me. It shows that there is, indeed, a worthwhile youthful audience out there that wants racing, not personalities. The increasing figures in CTS seem as though this new group is wholly dissatisfied with the pablum they call "racing" in Cup.

Maybe there is, indeed, hope?

I don't see why don't they adopt this formula in Cup racing.
Less and shorter but more action packed races.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by DOF_power

I don't see why don't they adopt this formula in Cup racing.
Less and shorter but more action packed races.

Why don't they adopt the Truck format (fewer and shorter races and vehicles with a modicum on brand identity) in the Prima Dona Series? The same reason they keep the absolutely insane Chosen 35 Rule and the redundant 1.5 an 2-mile tracks. Because the race fans are the only ones who realize that NA__AR short-sighted view of racing is killing what was once a great sport, and the race fans are becoming fewer and fewer at the Prima Dona Series level . The driver fans care only about "their drivers," and most having been around the sport long enough to realize what good racing actually is.

That might be the politically correct response but it's the best I've got to give.

[Racer Duck]

I think there's a bunch of the "we've always done it that way" reasoning within the larger offices in Daytona Beach. and like the good bureaucrats they are, they aren't gonna expend any effort on something that's broke .. they save that for what's not broke.