We stayed in Indiana for a week, and we had plenty of time to take in the sights and have a little fun in between getting all of our work done.

I’d never stepped foot in Indiana, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever return. So I made sure I made the trip over to the speedway one morning.

The track was massive. It seemed to be so much bigger than Pocono – where I’d covered several races in a previous job in Pennsylvania – even though both tracks are similar sizes.

What struck me most about the track is that the stands ran right along the street. To get into the track, my taxi driver had to go through an entrance that went under the stands and under the track; there was no buffer zone like you might find at a place like Richmond.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of the track is the Brickyard Crossing golf course. The course sits just outside of the backstretch, and four holes – 7 through 10 – are in the infield. (I don’t know if I’ll ever be back to Indianapolis, but it is my full intention to play around there. In fact, it ranks No. 2 on my list of golf courses to play at, behind only Pacific Dunes in Oregon.)

What was disappointing about the trip was that Pontiac, a big Final Four sponsor, was having a test drive of some of its vehicles at the track. But because of the rainy weather, no test drives were being held.

So my chance to actually get on the track was thwarted. (That would have been my second such excursion. Back in the old days at Pocono, when we left the track after the race, we would drive backwards around Turn 3 and out a gate halfway down the short stretch. At Richmond, I only parked in the infield once; and they had a tunnel under Turn 3 for just such traffic.)

Given the history, it was easy to see why IMS is so highly regarded. Even now, it’s the only track to host NASCAR, IRL and Formula One. Just to get a chance to see it was cool.

Now, I just have to make it back for 18.