Grand-Am claims growth

Ratings and viewing households doubled over 2008 for SPEED's coverage of the recent Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International, Round 9 of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

  In addition, spectator attendance for the Friday evening race was up 10 percent from 2008. A well-attended autograph session preceded the event, which started at 6:30 p.m. and was broadcast on SPEED at 8 p.m.

  While Krohn Racing's Ricardo Zonta and Nic Jonsson edged out Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas for the victory, the TELMEX Chip Ganassi drivers broke a tie in the championship to forge a four-point lead in the Daytona Prototype standings ahead of GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty with only three races remaining. SunTrust Racing's Max Angelelli and Brian Frisselle remain third, 14 points back.

  "Grand-Am continues to be a strong companion event for us during the NASCAR weekend in August," WGI President Michael Printup said. "It is apparent that our fans love all forms of racing, including stock cars and sports cars."

  The event broadcast ratings increased 100 percent with the average viewership increasing 91 percent, continuing the upward trend the Rolex Series has seen in 2009.  The overall households watching the SPEED coverage have increased by 39 percent year-to-date over the 2008 campaign.

  The Rolex Series returns to Canada's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with the Saturday, Aug. 29, running of the Montreal 200. The green flag is set to wave at 2:15 p.m., with the SPEED telecast beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The weekend will also feature the NASCAR Nationwide Series.