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ESPN on ABC’s live telecast of that Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega ( Ala.) Superspeedway scored big increases in ratings and household impressions over last year’s race, continuing an upward trend to series TV numbers in 2008.

The race earned a 2.6 rating and 2,962,000 household impressions, increases of 28 and 29 percent, respectively, over the same categories for last year’s ABC telecast (2.1; 2,291,000). The event also earned the largest numbers for a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on the ESPN networks since live NASCAR racing returned to ESPN in 2007, eclipsing the previous high of 2.4/2, 699,000 for the March, 2007, event from Las Vegas that aired on ABC.

The Talladega telecast also earned large increases across the board in important demographic categories, increasing 67 percent in Males 18-34, 50 percent in males 55 and older and 44 percent in persons 55 and older.

Cable ratings for the series have also increased in 2008. The average rating for the five NASCAR Nationwide Series events that have aired on ESPN2 is 1.9, a 10 percent increase over the 1.7 from this point last season. ESPN2 numbers do not include the rain-delayed event from California Speedway in February that was run on a Monday. It’s not that much of a surprise that there was an increase because the event aired on ABC and was available to viewers who didn’t have access to cable.

We are sure that a lot of the gear heads who expected to watch the Nationwide Series from RIR last week on the ESPN2 were not happy about the fact that an NBA playoff game bumped the series over to ESPN Classic the day prior to the event. A special encore presentation of the race from start to finish aired that evening following the NBA game on ESPN2. This item came from Stockcar Gazette.com and AutoRacingSport.com.

Concerned about $4 a gallon gasoline, Lowe’s Motor Speedway master promoter Humpy Wheeler is offering an $89 admission, which includes all you can eat. Smart thinking on his part other tracks hosting Cup races this year should give serious consideration to this promo. This report came from WRIC-TV8 in Richmond and StockcarGazette.com.

Yes, He REALLY Said That -John Force, on what it takes to be a champion. “You have to dedicate your life you know, it’s sad but when you dedicate to be a champion I don’t mean just to win a race or to win a championship, but when you do the things like the New York Yankees did, when you do things like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt to where you dominated; you’ve got to give up something. Because you’ve got to live every day like an addiction.” That’s another motorsports insight from the widely distributed Track Talk Newsletter.

Let’s check to see what’s on the tube this weekend for the race fans. It’s going to be busy in spite of Mother’s Day on Sunday. On Friday at 7 a.m. it’s F1 Practice from Turkey on Speed. At noon Speed airs Sprint Cup Practice from Darlington and again at 2 p.m. with Final Practice. Speed continues on with the NASCAR Nationwide Qualifying at 3 p.m. from Darlington and then Sprint Cup Qualifying at 5 p.m. ESPN2 airs the Nationwide Series race from Darlington at 7:30 p.m. Saturday has F1 Qualifying from Turkey at 7 a.m. on Speed. ESPN2 offers IRL Indy Car Pole Day from IMS at noon while ABC picks up the coverage at 3 p.m. and back to ESPN2 at 6 p.m. for wall-to-wall airings that day. Fox kicks in at 7 p.m. with the Sprint Cup race from Darlington. On Mother’s Day Sunday it’s the F1 race from Turkey at 7:30 a.m. The Duce returns with Day 2 Indy Pole Day coverage from IMS at noon and again at 5 p.m. For the bike crowd it’s the FIM Superbike race from Monza, Italy at 6 p.m. on Speed. (END)

NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES