Went last year. Stayed at the cheapest bleachers I could find (Turn 9). It was a long walk, and I enjoyed it, but I would spring for the Grandstand. I also only did race-day (Sunday). We flew in Friday morning, as our Saturday morning flights kept getting cancelled. Booked the hotel + flights the day I purchased the tickets. It was just myself and my wife.
We didn't rent a car. We stayed downtown, uber'd when we needed to, and used the COTA shuttles to get to/from the track, as the drop off point was ~3 blocks from our hotel.
If the river was whisky, and I was a duck.
I would swim to the bottom, and never come up.
But the river isn't whisky, and I'm not a duck.
So give me the whisky, and shut the hell up.