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CART: Target Grand Prix ranked fifth among most watched netowrk sports programs

8 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
DETROIT - The Target Grand Prix Presented by Energizer, televised live on ABC-TV from Chicago Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 30, ranked fifth among the most watched network sports telecasts for the week of July 24-30, according to the Nielsen Sports Marketing Service.

The Target Grand Prix Presented by Energizer was the only auto-racing event to earn a spot among the top-10 network sports telecasts for the week and marked the second consecutive FedEx Championship Series event to make the list compiled by the Nielsen Sports Marketing Service. The Target Grand Prix Presented by Energizer, won by Cristiano da Matta of PPI Motorsports before a crowd of more than 50,000, received a 1.5 rating, 4 share and reached an audience of 1,556,000 households.

The top-10 ranking of the Target Grand Prix Presented by Energizer comes on the heels of the success of the Michigan 500 Presented by Toyota aired live by ABC-TV on July 23. The Michigan 500 Presented by Toyota ranked 10th for the week of July 17-23 with a 2.0 rating, 6 share and an audience of 2,058,000 households. It marked the first time this season that a CART telecast made the top 10 network sports telecasts. The season-opening Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota made the top-10 list for cable sports telecasts for its respective week in March.

The top two sports telecasts for the week of July 24-30 were the two-day United States Gymnastics Championships shown Saturday (5.0 rating) and Sunday (4.4) on NBC-TV. The Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week was third (3.2) and the final round of the PGA John Deere Classic on CBS (1.6) was fourth.

The FedEx Championship Series, idle this past weekend, returns this week for Sunday's Miller Lite 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The Miller Lite 200, Round 12 of 20 in the championship, will be televised by ABC-TV at 4 p.m. ET on a tape-delay basis.

Text provided by Mike Zizzo

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.