Officials said roads and streets could be flooded, with some parts of the county receiving 3 to 5 inches of rain. Heavy downpours occurred throughout the morning and into the late afternoon, reducing visibility on highways. A few strong to severe thunderstorms were possible south of I-80 with a risk for hail and damaging wind gusts.
Ed Samson, a retired business owner from Northbrook, has volunteered to help organize events like the NASCAR race for the past 12 years.After volunteering Saturday, Samson said it was one of the most disorganized events he’s ever worked. ”People were orderly, but if there was some sort of event causing panic, that would’ve been chaos,” he said.Many race fans also said they were frustrated by the lack of clarity from race coordinators as gates remained closed for nearly two hours after they were originally supposed to open and umbrellas were not allowed inside.
Michelle Bacus and her son, both from Chicago, sported matching animal umbrellas as they left the line to dry up.Bacus bought VIP passes for the weekend to celebrate her son’s 11th birthday — Denny Hamlin who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is his favorite racer.