My first trip to Michigan International Speedway is a bit foggy since I think I was 6 or 7 at the time. It was 1970, the track was freshly built, and the family truckster made the trek from the Chicago suburbs to the Irish Hills of Michigan. I remember it took more than five hours to get up to the track from just north of the Windy City, a ride that I made in about 4 Friday morning. Better roads and higher speed limits I guess.

I don't remember much about my first race at Michigan except that it was the biggest track I'd ever seen before. The short tracks of the Midwest were a long way from the brand new superspeedway.

The facility has changed a lot since then with its massive grandstands but the track remains smooth and wide, a favorite for drivers and fans.

And I bet there will be more than a few first-timers in the grandstands this weekend as well. Ah the racing circle of life.