Kurt Busch credits IndyCar for increased Indy 500 TV ratings

Kurt Busch on Friday credited IndyCar’s promotion of the Indianapolis 500 for a bump in the television ratings. ABC’s telecast on Sunday earned a 3.9 rating, averaging 6.2 million viewers. It was up from 3.7 in 2013, and up in many traditional NASCAR markets. The ratings increase could be attributed to Busch running both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, the first double attempt since 2004. He finished sixth in his Indy debut, but an engine failure at Charlotte Motor Speedway prevented him from completing all 1,100 miles. “Did I help bump the ratings? Maybe I did,” Busch said. – Associated Press