The 50th running of the Daytona 500 on FOX scored increased average audience, total audience and household ratings compared to a year ago, according to fast national figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. The 50th Daytona 500 earned a 10.2/20 household rating/share and averaged 17.8 million viewers, and both the rating and average audience is +1 percent better than a year ago (10.1/20, 17.5 million). It was also the second highest-rated and second most-watched 500 ever on FOX, trailing the 2005 race in both stats. That Sunday’s audience results gave FOX Sports a Speedweeks 2008 “triple-play.” All three NASCAR on FOX events televised during Speedweeks posted improved ratings and viewership.

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Fresh from his victory in the 50th Daytona 500, Ryan Newman will be on the set of NASCAR Now, ESPN’s daily NASCAR news and information program, when it airs Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. ET. Newman will discuss his victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season opener with host Ryan Burr. NASCAR Now features news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. On Monday, Feb. 25, host Allen Bestwick will lead a panel discussion of the California Speedway weekend and other NASCAR news in a one-hour episode airing at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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TSN will air all Cup races in 2008. TSN of Canada announced its 2008 auto racing broadcast schedule - the network’s largest ever with a total of 121 races (up from 105 races in 2007) from five different series. TSN’s comprehensive schedule features full-season coverage of the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, the Canadian Tire Series, Formula One and Indy Racing League (IRL). TSN’s broadcast schedule features all 39 Sprint Cup races, all 35 Nationwide Series races and the entire 13-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. TSN will also have complete coverage of all 18 Formula One races and all 16 IRL races. TSN’s live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series got underway last Sunday with the first race of the season - the Budweiser Shootout.

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NASCAR Now, ESPN’s daily NASCAR news and information program, returns to the air for its second season Monday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The program includes highlights, opinion, debate, analysis and the latest news from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. The program airs for 30 minutes at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday of the opening week, and the Monday edition will expand to one hour beginning Monday, Feb. 11. The show also has a one-hour edition at 10 a.m. on the morning of each NASCAR Sprint Cup race and a Sunday night weekend wrap-up edition.

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At the recently concluded NASCAR Sprint Media Tour in Charlotte, NC, NASCAR CEO Brian France has called for motorsports to “re-energize the bonds with our core fans” after years of expansion into new US markets.

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The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will continue its relationship with SPEED for 2008, with the motorsports channel broadcasting 62.5 hours of Rolex Series competition in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and the Rolex Series broadcast around the world on a variety of major networks – complete with the Rolex Series debut in high-definition television.

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One of the most anticipated yearly programming features on SPEED, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and auction, returns this January with 39 hours of LIVE coverage through six days from Scottsdale, Ariz.

Five hours of early auction coverage begin on Jan. 15 through Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. On Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, 10 hours of live coverage begins each day at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, with another four hours slated for Jan. 20 starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

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SPEED will make its move to High Definition in 2008, beginning Feb. 7 with 100 hours of NASCAR on SPEED HD from Daytona Speedweeks. “With the Gatorade Duel 150’s on SPEED, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, NASCAR RaceDay and all of the other programming SPEED will deliver surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the Daytona 500, this is one of our most visible times of the year for the network and the perfect time to launch our move to HD,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “SPEED already offers some of the most action-filled programming on television and the move to HD in 2008 enhances all of it exponentially.”

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SPEED will be setting up shop in Daytona, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Fontana to bring NASCAR fans 22 days of testing coverage as part of NASCAR Preseason Thunder beginning Jan. 7. Testing coverage will be comprehensive as SPEED will cover sessions for the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. In addition, for the first time, SPEED will offer multiple shows from the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour, hosted by Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The full NASCAR on SPEED on-air team will participate in the 30-minute shows throughout the month, both on-site and from the Charlotte-based SPEED studios. Following coverage of NASCAR Preseason Thunder, SPEED will make the much-anticipated move to HD for 100 hours of coverage from Daytona Speedweeks beginning Feb. 7. In addition, SPEEDtv.com will re-launch in widescreen format Feb. 6. This came from SPEED’s PR office and the Jayski.com webpage.

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John Kernan, formerly of ESPN and ESPN2, is said to be leaving Sirrus and the Performance Racing Network, and moving to Chicago. The story on AutoRacingSport also hinted that John could be in the anchor booth for the NASCAR Nationwide Series come February of ‘08 on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. Those are the networks where he served his apprenticeship. When those networks lost the NASCAR broadcasts to other outlets, John did a lot of outdoor programming for the ESPN networks.

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