Auto Racing

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

With Danica starting from pole, Daytona 500's TV ratings up big from 2012

By: The Associated Press

Posted: 02/26/2013 9:27 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 02/26/2013 9:46 AM

Danica Patrick, center, prepares to get in her car before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

NEW YORK, N.Y. - With Danica Patrick starting from the pole, the Daytona 500's television ratings were much higher than last year's.

Sunday afternoon's race earned a 9.9 rating and 22 share on Fox, the network said Tuesday. That's up 24 per cent from 2012, when rain pushed the event to a Monday night. It was the highest rating since 2008.

Jimmie Johnson won the race while Patrick was eighth, the best finish by a woman at the Daytona 500.

The race had plenty of buildup: Patrick making history as the first woman to start a Sprint Cup race from the pole, the revamped cars, no more tandem drafting and a frightening crash the day before in the second-tier Nationwide Series.

The increases in viewership were particularly notable in some of the country's biggest cities. Ratings were up 91 per cent in Chicago, 64 per cent in San Francisco, 60 per cent in Los Angeles, 59 per cent in Boston and 43 per cent in New York.

The average rating for women between the ages of 18 and 34 grew by 16 per cent.

Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned to a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Auto Racing

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.