US Grand Prix, through a novice’s eyes: Do these always feel like a parade?

Sam Machkovech

ELROY, Texas—The FIA has one shot a year to tell a Formula 1 story that's all America, apple pie, and loud cries of "yee-haw!" Currently, that takes place down the road from Austin, the Texas state capital, at the annual US Grand Prix. This past weekend, over 100,000 fans descended upon the barely developed town of Elroy, home of the Circuit of the Americas, to watch the world's fastest F1 racers. (The official attendance figure for the three-day event was 269,899.)

Thanks to random happenstance, I was one of them. What started as a cheap flight to visit relatives turned into my first live F1 race, complete with access to decent season-ticket seats and an experienced F1 fan at my side.