<I>CSI Miami</I> proves crime does pay for CART.

Last week's episode of the CBS crime drama CSI: Miami, filmed on location at the Grand Prix Americas Presented by Sportsbook.com in late September, turned South Florida's streets into a 200 mph blur with thoroughbred Champ Cars screaming through downtown as a high-profile Hollywood murder mystery unravelled.

After the show received the third-highest rating in its history, supporters of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford reached new levels of sponsorship exposure for their involvement in the popular show.

Exposure from the episode, which earned a 12.0 rating and a 19 share (12,960,000 households), provided series' sponsors Bridgestone and Ford a great return on their investment, along with footage that featured the two-car team of American Spirit Team Johansson. These ratings were parlayed into estimated dollar values through sponsorship exposure, time and mentions compared to the CBS network's cost per 30-second commercial rate of $265,000.

Respected industry leader in sponsor exposure analysis Joyce Julius and Associates reported that Ford Motor Company racked up $1,192,500 in value with the crime centering around one of the 750hp engines that propels all the machines in the Champ Car World Series, while the series' presenting sponsor and official tyre manufacturer Bridgestone received $1,042,340 in exposure for numerous placements throughout the show.

In addition, through specific mentions and logo placement directly relating to the show's storyline, CART Champ Car's exclusive engine manufacturer Cosworth received $618,335 in value.

Champ Car-related signage and logos were displayed prominently at the crime scene investigation based in the Champ Car paddock, with American Spirit Team Johansson ($2,084,670), Team Rahal sponsor Gigante ($106,000) and Mi-Jack Conquest Racing ($530,005) most notably reaping the benefits from the nationwide coverage. The series itself benefited with $1,042,330 worth of exposure, while the CART brand specifically enjoyed $706,670 in value for sharing the episode's spotlight.