Airing on ABC for the first time in six years, Indy 500 qualifying had substantial increases in ratings and viewership last weekend.

Qualifying for the IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 earned a 1.0 final rating and 1.5 million viewers on ABC Sunday afternoon, up 400% in ratings and 343% in viewership from coverage on NBCSN last year (0.2, 334K). NBCSN coverage aired for six hours, compared to two on ABC this year.

Excluding the actual Indy 500, Sunday’s qualifying coverage ranks as the most-viewed IndyCar telecast on any network in three years. Even last year’s Texas race, which aired in primetime on ABC, earned a smaller audience (1.4M).

Additional qualifying coverage drew a 0.7 and 1.1 million viewers on ABC Saturday afternoon, up 250% and 299%, respectively, from the comparable window on NBCSN last year (0.2, 264K).

The last time ABC aired qualifying coverage — 2008 — the lone Sunday afternoon window earned a 1.1 rating and slightly fewer viewers (1.46M compared to 1.48M this year).

(Sun. numbers from Sports Business Daily; last year’s qualifying numbers from Son of the Bronx)