PRI Associate Editor A.J. Hecht attended the IMSA Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Read some of his thoughts and observations from the six-hour endurance race below:

Walking into the track on Friday--my first exposure to the IMSA world--I immediately noticed the manufacturer presence. You can't go a minute without seeing a Ford-branded jacket, an Aston Martin polo, an Acura hat. It makes sense, given so many of the OEMs have or support their own programs, and so many of the cars are based on their production counterparts. It feels omnipresent here in a way I haven't experienced at other events.

It's encouraging to see that manufacturer support, especially in an era when fuel economy is king, with automakers dedicating so much time, effort and funding to exploring new propulsion technologies and alternative fuels.

In my mind, that support signals two things:

1. The racing industry is still at the forefront, driving innovation that impacts the simplest of road cars. That these giant corporations, some of the biggest in the world, find motorsports to be a worthwhile investment, a worthy proving ground and promotional tool for these new technologies, shows that racing is the best, fastest way to push the boundaries of what is possible. This industry, and the people in it, are regularly entrusted with this responsibility, and almost always deliver.  

2. No matter what is under the hood, the manufacturers still want to be the fastest, the most efficient, the best. They could be racing pedal carts and BMW would still want to get the best of Mercedes, Chevy would still want to beat Ford. That's never going away, whether the cars are powered by a full-throated V8 or a "whirring" electric motor. The future of motorsports is as bright as ever.

Late in the morning, the headlining WeatherTech SportsCar Series took to the track for their first session of the weekend, crowding the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with 56 GT cars and prototypes, all looking for speed and a little bit of clear track.

It was my first time seeing multi-class racing in person, and it was every bit as chaotic as I imagined. The difference in speed between the GTD and GTP classes is obvious, even to the untrained eye. Watching these drivers carve through traffic was mesmerizing and even a little bit unnerving. Those prototype drivers did not waste a second getting by the slower GTD cars. They'd follow as close as possible through the tighter corners, then power by on the straights, gapping them quicker than you can say "excuse me."

In spite of the staggering number of entries and the near-constant hum of engines, several cars started to stand out from the others. The roar of the Cadillac is unmistakable, louder and deeper than everything else, save maybe the low, guttural drone of the Mustang GTD cars. You can hear them both long before you see them. Other marques have different characteristics. Some produce more of a hum, a whistle even, like the speedy Penske Porsche 963s and the chromed-out Wayne Taylor Racing Acuras. Each has something of its own, a defining trait, that helps it stand out from the crowd. It symbolizes the wider diversity in thought, approach and efforts not just in sportscar racing but across motorsports.

Saturday started in anger, with early morning qualifying for the Michelin Pilot Challenge, followed by another practice session for the WeatherTech Sportscar Series. As chaotic as it is on track, it might be even crazier on pit lane, especially in the cramped confines of IMS. Somehow the series finds the space for all 56 entries and their teams, as well as the massive pit carts—outfitted with two levels of seating, numerous monitors broadcasting live telemetry and dozens of camera feeds, and all the equipment needed to service a car through 6 hours of racing (Not to mention multiple drivers). The narrow walkway behind the pit wall is littered with spare parts, huge pieces of carbon fiber and the nearly ubiquitous blue barrels filled with VP Racing Fuel.

You can't miss the blue barrels. There are usually at least two, sometimes three in each stall, with more lined against the catchfence. Meanwhile, a fleet of ATVs tow them to and from pit lane, stocking them back in the paddock alongside hundreds of other barrels. It is one of several herculean efforts from series suppliers over the course of the weekend. Three tire manufacturers provide support for the weekend: Michelin brings the rubber for the WeatherTech and Michelin series, while the Porsche Carrera Cup utilizes Yokohama and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series runs on Hankooks.

The fuel and tire suppliers aren't alone. There's a large number of industry manufacturers represented on track over the weekend. Walk through the paddock or pit lane and you'll see so many of the same names you'll see on the PRI Show floor. Brembo, Forgeline, MPI, Bell, Xtrac. It's impossible to list them all. You name it, they're here.

It might seem like we at the PRI Show talk a big game, but it's true. It really is the world's largest gathering of motorsports professionals. It really is the one place—other than the race track—where all of the industry's top manufacturers are represented. It's an unrivaled experience for the racing business.

An IMSA event, however, is an unrivaled experience for the motorsports enthusiast. The atmosphere all weekend has a very personal touch, especially for a top-level series. The paddock is open to all, free for fans to rub shoulders with drivers, team members and even the cars. Stroll from Pagoda Plaza down to the far end of Gasoline Alley, and you'll see no less than 100 race cars and throngs of drivers, crew members and IMSA officials.

Then, just an hour or so before the drop of the green flag, the two IMSA series welcome any ticketholder onto the grid, free of charge, to get up close and personal with the cars, teams and drivers. What typically carries a hefty price tag, or requires a well-connected individual, is open to everyone. My passion for racing stems from early, memorable encounters with race cars and their drivers, mainly at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it's encouraging to see a series fully embrace that.

It becomes even more memorable when, just minutes later, you're watching those same cars charge into Turn 1, fighting for position on track. Once the fight starts, it doesn't stop, and as it turns out, it's against more than just your competitors. Less than an hour into the race, the field dealt with an early afternoon deluge that created hazardous conditions, ending at least one team's day. It's miraculous that it didn't end more.

The bravery, precision and care it takes to lap the circuit in those conditions is superhuman. Even my field of vision, standing along the catchfence near Turn 12, was clouded by the spray from just the first few cars. I can't imagine what it's like from the cockpit. Luckily, after about an hour run mostly under yellow-flag conditions, the sky cleared up and the race was back on.

Going into the weekend, I expected the six-hour race to feel like forever, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As the time ticked away, I found myself wishing it were an 8-hour race, a 12-hour race, maybe even 24. I spent the majority of the time bouncing around to different spots on the track, taking in the various viewpoints and snapping photos to accompany this article, and it was fascinating to see how the cars performed in each section of the track.

The GTPs looked like spaceships on the straights and in the high-speed turns, carving around corners and darting through high-speed traffic jams. The GTD cars looked like beasts, screaming and squirming through the braking zones and sliding out of apexes. It is truly spectacular to see in person, a sensory experience unlike any I've had before.

It must also be said that the reliability of these machines is remarkable. Of the 56 that rolled off the grid, 46 completed the full six hours. That these complicated, cutting-edge machines can survive the stress, wear and abuse of a day full of all-out racing is a testament to the work put in by this industry. The automakers and the race teams, of course, but every manufacturer that plays a role, too. From the fasteners to the fuel pumps, the tires to the timing and scoring transponders, everything must work on its own and in concert with all the other pieces, the tiniest details, for the day to be successful.

A lot of the work required to make that happen was completed long before the first hauler showed up for the weekend. These results are months, years, in the making and show what this industry is capable of. And when it needs to, it can not only survive but excel in the toughest of conditions.