Fox reports: You decide -- The California 500 Sunday pulled a 6.0 TV rating. Good or bad?

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   LAS VEGAS
   Things may be looking up for NASCAR and its teams -- The California 500 posted an fairly impressive 6.0 rating on Fox Sunday evening, the network announced, with more than 10 million viewers. That comes after the lowest rated Daytona 500 since 2001.
   In fact, of the 80 prime-time shows on the four national networks last week, the 500 in Fontana, Calif., at Auto Club Speedway (won by Mat Kenseth in a duel with Jeff Gordon), placed well in a number of key demographics:
    The race (which ran 3:40) pulled a 5.8 rating among men 25-54, fifth-best. It rang up a 4.4 among men 18-49, seventh best. And in adults 18-49 the 500 pulled a 3.7, 14th best.
    Last spring's 500 here was delayed by rain until Monday.
    However comparing this California 500 with the 2007, 2006 and 2005 events, things don't look quite so rosey: in 2007 the race pulled a 6.7, in 2006 it pulled a 7.4, and in 2005 it pulled a 7.9.
   Last year's Labor Day weekend race at the Los Angeles track drew only a 3.9 on ESPN.