Kirkendall Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 NEW YORK - NASCAR's Chase for the Championship paid off in high TV ratings for the season-ending race.NBC's coverage of the title-deciding Ford 400 earned a 5.6 overnight rating, the best in the race's six-year history and the best performance ever for a NASCAR race against NFL football on Sunday.The rating was 47 percent higher than last year's 3.8 and up 24 percent from the previous high of 4.5 in 2002.The previous high for a race going up against Sunday NFL action was a 4.7 overnight for last year's EA Sports 500 at Talladega.Kurt Busch overcame a broken wheel on Sunday to finish fifth and clinch the closest championship in NASCAR history. He won the Nextel Cup title by just eight points over Jimmie Johnson and 16 over Jeff Gordon.This was the first year that NASCAR used the Chase for the Championship format, where the top 10 drivers with 10 races to go went into essentially a playoff for the remainder of the season.Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets, covering about 70 percent of the United States. The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevnz Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 No surprise. It was pretty dag on dramatic as well. You have to expect it. Now if only someone could convice NASCAR to make the last race the Daytona 500...the ratings would double. The biggest race for the biggest prize. But then NASCAR has ignored those calls for years so why would that change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 The biggest race for the biggest prize. But then NASCAR has ignored those calls for years so why would that change. I expect that to change sometime in the next 5 years. It's the natural progression of things now that a "playoff" system is now in place. I wouldn't be surprised that the Daytona "Speedweeks" that usually kickoff the racing season get flipped with the end of the seasons race weekend at Homestead to be the big capper to this undeniably successful change in the scoring system.Don't the officials at Nascar who changed the system look like geniuses now? I thought this may take a few years to start possibly seeing any benefits from it, but the ratings are up already, and nobody is really bitching about the new points system. Not even the drivers who initially were VERY vocal about not liking it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevnz Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 The biggest race for the biggest prize. But then NASCAR has ignored those calls for years so why would that change.I expect that to change sometime in the next 5 years. It's the natural progression of things now that a "playoff" system is now in place. I wouldn't be surprised that the Daytona "Speedweeks" that usually kickoff the racing season get flipped with the end of the seasons race weekend at Homestead to be the big capper to this undeniably successful change in the scoring system.Don't the officials at Nascar who changed the system look like geniuses now? I thought this may take a few years to start possibly seeing any benefits from it, but the ratings are up already, and nobody is really bitching about the new points system. Not even the drivers who initially were VERY vocal about not liking it! Actually, I'd think they'd move the Firecracker 400(At least then calling it the Pepsi 400 wouldn't bug me so much) to Feb and keep the Bud Shootout then as well, race at homstead in july and take two weeks in Daytona with qulifying one sunday, then the Twin 125's on Wed, and Thursday primetime(maybe even offer some bonus points for winning a 125) and have the race on Suday. Count me as one of those people critical of the system at the start....Damn it worked right off the bat. Could use some tweaking but nothing major, and I think NASCAR needs to step up to the plate to help get the non chasers some face time on TV. It's funny, Jeff Gordon, who would have won the championship under the old system, raved about the new one and I'd think he'd have the biggest gripe out of anyone. Some fans will be pissed about it, but that's just cause Jr didn't win, or that it was Busch who won...It's funny, I don't get why people don't like Busch, maybe it's the ears.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 It's funny, I don't get why people don't like Busch, maybe it's the ears.... The EARS? Can't be the ears. Reba McEntyre has a set just as big and most Nascar fans love her! It must stem from the run in his nose had with Jimmy Spencer's fist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted November 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 I can understand why people were upset Busch won the championship comparing to the other drivers who have 10-times a bigger fan base. I think we'll here about the Busch family -- Kyle and Kurt -- for many many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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