LV 400 draws huge TV ratings

Friday, March 12, 1999 | 9:38 a.m.

The second Las Vegas 400 captured a 6.0 rating Sunday, making it the second-most watched NASCAR Winston Cup race in history excluding the Daytona 500.

The 6.0 rating, a three-percent increase over last year's 5.8, translates into a 15 share according to ABC Sports. A 15 share means the race was watched in an estimated 5,990,000 households and attracted nearly 15 million viewers.

The 1997 inaugural Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway drew a 6.4 rating, making it the most-watched NASCAR race other than a Daytona 500.

"The television ratings are just another example of the phenomenal growth of motor sports in this country," Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Chris Powell said. "We have a first-class facility in a great city and we're happy to have showcased both of them to so many people."

According to the Speedway, a crowd estimated at 125,000 attended the Las Vegas 400 -- the largest single-day crowd to witness a sporting event in the state's history. Another 72,000 fans were at Saturday's Busch Series Sam's Town 300 race.

"Las Vegas performed exceptionally," said Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns LVMS. "The television rating is outstanding given that 1998 was the inaugural year for the Las Vegas 400.

"With this record-breaking event behind us, we will finalize plans for further growth of the facility. We've got tremendous opportunities in Las Vegas."

Ratings for Saturday's Sam's Town 300 also were up from the previous year. The race, won by Winston Cup regular Mark Martin, drew a 2.2 rating -- up from 1.9 in 1998 -- on ESPN2.