"Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen, and come out and explore," Gurss said. "We're a sport that you have to see in person to get the visceral appeal. You feel the rumble when the cars go by."
Last year, the three-day event drew about 150,000. Organizers declined to release their estimates and ticket sales Friday, and police did not have an attendance count.
Baltimore Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said no significant incidents were reported. Many downtown streets were clogged with traffic throughout the afternoon because of race closures.
The race delayed city bus routes as long as 45 minutes in some places, according to Terry Owens, spokesman for the Maryland Transit Administration. To help lessen the delays, the administration had an extra 10 buses positioned throughout the city. More than 500 buses run each day.
Owens said transit officials negotiated with race organizers to see that the light rail tracks weren't damaged when concrete around the tracks was ground down to flatten the surface before the chicanes were installed.
"We had some of our people there to ensure that there was nothing done to jeopardize the safety of the system, and we're satisfied with what they've done," Owens said.
Robin Miller, a racing analyst for the SPEED channel, said the light rail tracks are particularly hard for IndyCar drivers to deal with because the open-wheel cars ride close to the ground. Drivers "were worried about the engines and gearboxes being separated," he said.
Miller said a bumpy course can make for a more thrilling experience for fans but could also pose hazards to drivers.
"The fans want to see drivers be challenged, and bumps are challenging," Miller said. "But bumps are one thing, launching pads are another."
Paul and Bridget Moeller of White Marsh said they weren't annoyed in the least over the situation involving the light rail tracks. The couple, who booked a downtown hotel for the weekend, arrived at 8 a.m. Friday.
"We came last year and thought it was a great first attempt," Paul Moeller said. "It was a world-class event. To me, the second year is almost as important as the first year, because this makes it an annual event."
Baltimore Sun reporters Sandra McKee and Julie Scharper contributed to this article.
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