July 31 (Reuters) – The U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, is set for a record crowd this year despite criticism of Formula One’s new rules from some fans and drivers, according to circuit founder and race promoter Bobby Epstein.
The race at the Circuit of the Americas is scheduled for October 25 as the 18th round of the championship.
“It hasn’t hurt our ticket sales this year,” Epstein told reporters when asked about the new engine era. “We’re actually on pace for a record year. We are seeing massive demand and could easily break our prior year record.
“I think a lot of our fans are fans of our event as much as they are of the sport itself, so some of that (criticism) is probably anticipated noise that you have from a year where you have a major overhaul in the rules.
“You’re going to have that noise and it’ll level itself out. I think most fans are aware of that… I think what we’re seeing is massive interest in the event and so I’m not as focused on the rules and regs that affect the competition.”
The official weekend attendance at last year’s race in Austin was a sell-out, with an attendance figure estimated at more than 400,000.
Epstein said road improvements and additional lanes to make it easier to get in and out of the track could allow an extra 15,000 to 30,000 people per day.
Formula One said this week that six of the 11 rounds held so far this season had drawn record crowds.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; editing by Clare Fallon)
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