SPEED ratings highest since move to net in '03

The dramatic Craftsman Truck Series finale on SPEED peaked at more than one million households and put an exclamation point on the most-watched season since the series moved to the network in 2003.

The race at Homestead-Miami Speedway scored a Nielsen Household Rating of .96 (702,000 households), up 146 percent from last year's .39 (286,000 households). The broadcast peaked at a 1.39 (1,021,000 households) and marked the highest year-to-year average rating increase of the season.

"What a way to finish," said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. "The last lap of the last event and we still weren't sure who the champion was going to be. Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday put on an awesome show for the fans."

The 2008 Truck Series season on SPEED was the highest rated ever, averaging a .80 and 585,000 households. On the year, 19 of the 22 races on SPEED saw year-to-year Nielsen Ratings increases, 15 in double digits.

SPEED will air highlights from the Truck Series awards banquet at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 8.

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