My initial impressions of Mid-Ohio? Wow…what an awesome place to experience the Grand American machines for the first time! Mid-Ohio has always been one of my favorite tracks to watch a race on TV, and to be there in person was amazing.

So what's so good about it? My first impression when I drove in the gate was how nice the people were who greeted me Friday night. That extended through the weekend as I didn't run into one staff member who didn't know what they were doing and was very pleasant. That is a huge plus in my book. Everything around the track was clean and professional looking, and laid out very well. Once I was not driving around aimlessly in the dark (more on that later), I was able to figure out where to go even without razor and stretch's help.

The only downer was the speed of the track crew in cleaning up accidents, especially the mess in turn 5 when Zach Arnold and Matthew Alhadeff slid off because of fluid on the racing surface. It took the crew entirely too many laps to pull them from the gravel, but then again this has been a theme in the Grand American season...overly long cautions not of their own doing.

And, if that one thing is the only thing I can complain about, the folks at Mid-Ohio are doing it right.

I really liked the camping facilities, too. I really don't have anything to compare them too, but the bathrooms and showers were clean and luckily not too far from our site (thanks razor!). razor's accommodations were excellent, too, but that's not Mid-Ohio's fault!

One theme of my articles this week will be from a fan's perspective, as I want to show everyone who has not been to a Grand American event what kind of entertainment they can expect. Even my pictures will be from outside of the photo areas for this reason.

This whole event was awesome…and that's what I'll talk about in one of my next installment from Mid-Ohio…the sights and sounds from the track. Another article coming up next is story time from the Cognoscenti…and why you need to join us!

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