Folks are starting to funnel into the Brickyard for the start of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. For now the weather is pretty much perfect, to me anyways, with temperatures here at the track in the low 70s with a fair amount of east coast-style humidity. Weather forecasters are calling for some sporadic afternoon showers which might cause some chaos during today’s free practice.
 
This morning I was surprised to see how much coverage the local news gave the speedway and the event in general. In the course of the 30-minute news program, this weekend’s race was probably mentioned three or four times. Pretty crazy.
 
Riding into the speedway this morning I was in awe of just how humungous this place is. I thought Daytona was pretty big but it’s got nothing on the Brickyard. Much to my surprise all of the security guards and worker bees here are not only friendly, but helpful and knowledgeable about where to go and the best way to get there.
 
Also of note is just how “European” this circuit feels. Everything from the Brickyard’s architecture, to its forested surroundings and even the overcast weather and high humidity makes you feel like you’re in Italy—no joke. The riders obviously really dig it as you could see all of them with the exception of Valentino Rossi, strolling around the paddock and even eating lunch right in the open area. We even saw Jorge Lorenzo doing some scooter stunting.