Journalists close to the sport of auto racing reiterate the same statement frequently. The sport is hurting. Not just the local short tracks, but the big guns of Formula 1, NASCAR, and IndyCar. Sports Car racing however, has seen subtle growth throughout the last decade.
2014 marks the inaugural season for the Tudor United Sports Car Series. Announced in 2012, the new series is a unification of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the American LeMans Series. After close to thirteen years of competition, American sports car racing is now under one roof.
The series is not perfect however. Regulations concerning the class structure have fans and teams in uproar. Many staple teams of the American LeMans Series have left the series for the European tour or closed down entirely. The Daytona Prototypes have been the face of the Rolex Sports Car Series. Sleek European P1 and P2 cars have represented the American LeMans Series. Eliminating P1 cars and pinning P2 cars and DP's has been met with criticism. Attempts to equalize the two classes has proved almost futile, leaving most P2 teams to abandon the series. Despite this controversy, Fox Sports says ratings are up.
Last weekend, Fox Sports 2 aired live flag to flag coverage of the Lone Star LeMans from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The very next day Fox aired a time condensed re-air of the race. The broadcast occurred as the lead out program for Fox's NFL single header. By Wednesday, Fox reported the broadcast received a 1.1 Neilson rating. Was this a fluke? Was this merely a result of being the lead out program?
This tape delayed broadcast went up against live NASCAR and afternoon football. Despite that, 1.1 million viewers tuned in to watch this sports car event. Some critics believe fans never changed the channel after football but didn't actually watch the race. That shouldn't be ruled out.
Nonetheless, Fox has this strategy planned for the final race of the season later on next month. If ratings are the same or higher, it might just mean a positive future for sports car racing in the U.S.
2014 marks the inaugural season for the Tudor United Sports Car Series. Announced in 2012, the new series is a unification of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the American LeMans Series. After close to thirteen years of competition, American sports car racing is now under one roof.
The series is not perfect however. Regulations concerning the class structure have fans and teams in uproar. Many staple teams of the American LeMans Series have left the series for the European tour or closed down entirely. The Daytona Prototypes have been the face of the Rolex Sports Car Series. Sleek European P1 and P2 cars have represented the American LeMans Series. Eliminating P1 cars and pinning P2 cars and DP's has been met with criticism. Attempts to equalize the two classes has proved almost futile, leaving most P2 teams to abandon the series. Despite this controversy, Fox Sports says ratings are up.
Last weekend, Fox Sports 2 aired live flag to flag coverage of the Lone Star LeMans from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The very next day Fox aired a time condensed re-air of the race. The broadcast occurred as the lead out program for Fox's NFL single header. By Wednesday, Fox reported the broadcast received a 1.1 Neilson rating. Was this a fluke? Was this merely a result of being the lead out program?
This tape delayed broadcast went up against live NASCAR and afternoon football. Despite that, 1.1 million viewers tuned in to watch this sports car event. Some critics believe fans never changed the channel after football but didn't actually watch the race. That shouldn't be ruled out.
Nonetheless, Fox has this strategy planned for the final race of the season later on next month. If ratings are the same or higher, it might just mean a positive future for sports car racing in the U.S.
No comments:
Post a Comment