This year the circuit in Austin will host the American Grand Prix for the 11th time. The president and podium promoter, Bobby Epstein, spoke at the Black Book Motorsport event that he was not afraid to compete with other American tracks…
Bobby Epstein: “Until recently, following Formula 1 races in the US wasn’t easy, so I can’t say I was an ardent fan. But Austin was growing fast, I had this piece of land – my only real estate investment – and the idea came up to hold a Formula 1 race. It seemed like a great opportunity to do something for the community we live in , have fun and earn money. But the more we talked about it and thought about it, the more we treated the circuit as a world-class entertainment venue, for which the Formula 1 stage will be an excellent advertisement.
The Indianapolis 500 draws a quarter of a million people each week, but other Indycar races draw 10-15% of this number, and sometimes even less. It is necessary to distinguish between sports fans and fans of a particular event. In any sport, it is necessary to attract “second level fans”, those who do not have the motivation to travel without additional activities. These sports will not survive on true fans alone. Racing should appeal to those who like to be part of the event as a whole.
Sometimes competition is good. Our goal is to maintain our uniqueness and take care of the fans. They know everything. The track in Austin is built for racing. The Vegas track is not meant for racing, but it’s a fun place, the podium will attract a lot of attention, including on TV, these people will want to come to us – and we need to make sure they become part of our traditional audience.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
