Ratings up 76 percent for IRL's season-opener

Mar 17, 2010 - 3:09 PM SAO PAULO(AP) -- The Indy Racing League says total viewership for its season-opening race was up 76 percent over 2009.

The IRL says the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 drew about 411,000 viewers for Versus. The 2009 season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., drew about 233,000 viewers.

Live coverage of the race in Brazil garnered a 0.4 national household rating, the third-highest rated IndyCar Series race on the cable network. Ratings represent the percentage of all households with televisions tuned into a program.

Australian Will Power won the eventful race on the streets of Sao Paulo, which included a scary accident involving Marco Andretti at the start, a red flag cause by heavy rains and a lot of overtaking.