TV Ratings Good for Chicago: The Tropicana 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race from Chicagoland Speedway Sunday on NBC was by far the highest rated sports event of the weekend. The race earned a 5.0 overnight rating/12 share, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. The 5.0 overnight rating is a four percent increase over last year’ 4.8/12 for the inaugural Tropicana 400. The rating built throughout the race and peaked with a 5.9 during the final half-hour from 5:30-6 p.m. ET as Kevin Harvick took his first checkered flag of the 2002 season and repeated his 2001 Tropicana 400 victory. The Tropicana 400′ 5.0 rating, outperformed all sports programming over the weekend by at least two full ratings points. In a distant second-place was Fox’ regional coverage of three Major League Baseball games on Saturday (3.0/8), followed by the final round of the Greater Milwaukee Open on ABC on Sunday (2.0/5). For every half-hour from 2:30-6 p.m. ET the Tropicana 400 on NBC even beat the combined network sports competition (ABC – PGA/Senior PGA and CBS – CART/NFL QB Challenge/Tour de France). Saturday’ Tropicana Twister 300 NASCAR Busch Series race from Chicagoland Speedway earned a 2.1 overnight rating and 5 share. The 2.1 overnight rating is even with last year’ 2.1 overnight rating for the NASCAR Busch Series race from Chicagoland Speedway.(NBC PR)(7-15-2002)
