During a brief break in the rain, the traditional fireworks display took place | James Derek Sapienza/Autos Cheat Sheet

The weather, wet and in the 50s, gave the race something of a Le Mans vibe, and despite thousands of spectators, the speedway’s 101,000 technicolor seats were mostly empty. The real action was in the infield, where hundreds of RVs, from massive rolling motorhomes to rusty old Volkswagen Type IIs took up almost every available inch of grass. It was a strange mix, from European team members out of their element to good ‘ol boys out on a weekend. The carnival atmosphere was topped off by a giant ferris wheel, which dominated the sky over the track.
In Mazda’s headquarters at the end of the pit lane, the tent doors were kept shut to keep the wind and rain out, as the cars blew by approaching 200 miles per hour. A buffet stayed stocked, depending on which meal it was closest to; at odd hours it was filled with junk food. There was almost always a group of engineers, Mazda personnel, and even drivers who would duck in to sit, eat, and watch the race and real-time positions on the bank of TVs. Compared to the chaos of the pits, it was a haven.