Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: More than 6.3 million saw LVMS race on TV

Tuesday, March 5, 2002 | 9:40 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Sterling Marlin wasn't the only winner Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Marlin's victory in the fifth annual NASCAR Winston Cup race in Las Vegas drew a 6.2 overnight rating on Fox -- an increase over last year's 6.1 overnight rating. Each ratings point equals 1,022,000 households, meaning an estimated 6,336,400 people nationwide watched the race.

Ratings for NASCAR events tend to increase when the final national figures are released on Thursday.

Locally, the race drew a 10.5 rating and 21 share, meaning 21 percent of all televisions in use in Southern Nevada Sunday afternoon were tuned in to the Fox telecast.

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 also attracted a record crowd of 137,500 -- making the race the biggest sporting event in terms of attendance in the state for the fifth consecutive year.

"We set records all weekend," LVMS general manager Chris Powell said. "When you include the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race, (Winston Cup) pole day and the three nights of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws, we had more than a quarter of a million people through the gates during the four days.

"That's a tremendous boost for our local economy and speaks volumes to the importance of motor sports to our great city."

Actress Pamela Anderson visited with Earnhardt prior to the race and left a lipstick stain on the bright red car -- at Junior's request.

"She wanted to know where the party was (Sunday night) and I said we needed her to bless our race car," Earnhardt said. "She leaned over and planted a big kiss on the car right above the driver's door, right next to my name. It seemed to help it for awhile."

Anderson spent the first 25 laps watching the race from Earnhardt's pit. He finished 16th.

Newman has been the class of the 2002 rookie field after three races. The 24-year-old Penske Racing South driver has finished in the top 10 in two of the three races this season and leads Jimmie Johnson by nine points in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Newman has been the highest finishing rookie in all three races in 2002. ...

Newman's fourth-place finish Sunday was the best showing by a rookie in the five Winston Cup races at LVMS. Kevin Harvick's eighth-place finish in last year's race was the previous best finish by a rookie in the Las Vegas race. ...

No driver who has started sixth or better has ever won a Winston Cup race at LVMS. Mark Martin won the inaugural race in 1998 from the seventh starting position. Jeff Burton won in 1999 after starting 19th and in 2000 after starting 11th and both Jeff Gordon (2001) and Marlin won from the 24th starting position.