IndyCar reports that viewership of the first two of its races this year on NBC Sports Network is up 9 percent over the same number of races in 2011. Key to that gain was a big boost in ratings for last weekend's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which attracted 45 percent more viewers (468,000) than the 2011 race, according to the network.
NBC Sports Network, formerly known as Versus, is televising 10 IZOD IndyCar Series races this season, in addition to qualification shows, Indianapolis 500 qualifications and Carb Day coverage at Indy, as well as the new INDYCAR 36 magazine show, which shadows an IZOD IndyCar Series driver for 36 hours.
The network will air the next round of he series, the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle, on April 29 at noon ET. ABC is televising six races, including the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27.