Let the circus begin

It's amazing. This is my second year and fourth race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it still is wondrous.

It's the build really. The tightening of the gut, the shallowing of the breathing -- the anticipation of what's to come. It's the roar of the crowd finally being drowned out by the obscene reverberations from the engines. It's racing and I love it.

Now, I'm on the other end of the spectrum. Instead of being outside enjoying the race with the masses, I'm up in the media center commenting on the race. It's a little less romantic than what it sounds. Most believe that we dine on caviar and champaign, while sitting on thrones of gold and looking down on the race with a god's eye view of the activities.

Truth be told, we sit in a beautiful media room, watching no less than 56 televisions and there is no caviar, but the Dasani flows like fine wine.

The allure of the track, and covering the races, is the rush. You'd think that existing separate from the masses would lessen the effect of the race, but the thrill fades not. The goosebumps are still there and the final 10 laps are the best minutes of my day.

If fans believe the circus is out in the stands, I offer another view. The media room is the circus. I watch as people scurry around as the race progresses, grabbing info sheets and finding their angle. Photographers rush in with the art, writers compose, while some stare blankly at the multitudes of TV screens.

So with a little over four hours left until the flag drops, my mind wanders to what my next eight hours have in store. Weighing all options, I come to one logical conclusion.

Sometimes it's best to just sit back and enjoy the circus.