Welcome to a cloudy, cool day at the National Park of Speed. The threat of rain has diminished, but the clouds are expected to linger most of the day, with a high of around 78 degrees. Enjoy this balmy weather. The forecast for tomorrow and Sunday calls for highs in the low to mid 90s with heat indexes near 100 degrees. If you’re at the track, please remember to hydrate. A lot.

Things seem a bit subdued this morning, as many fans are recuperating from watching last night’s Pacers game. I watched from a restaurant in Elkhart Lake, and I could have sworn I was in downtown Indy. There will be a mad rush down I-65 Sunday after the race as people try to get back to indy in time to watch Game 7.

It hadn’t really dawned on me that 2025 is the 70th anniversary of Road America. As far as tracks go, this is an impressive age. IMS is 116 years old. The Milwaukee Mile dates to 1903. The free fan guide available at the track has a lot of information, including a nice two page history of the track.

There are some changes coming tothe track. The pedestrian bridge on the front stretch, built in 1961, will be replaced with a structure which will accommodate both pedestrians and golf carts. The North paddock area will be paved. Renovations will be made to suites and the press paddock.

On track, barriers on driver’s left at turns 4-5 and turns 13-14 will be straightened. The barrier bases will be removed and reconstructed.

The are at the kink just off the track surface has been redone with what is called “grasscrete. It’s a perforated strip f concrete which allows grass to grow through it. Its purpose is to eliminate dust thrown on the track and allow for a cleaner exit.

I’ll be back with more later. i am going out to explore the grounds and see what else is new here.