At the intimate Christmas market outside, a young fellow at a stall offered us several samples of snaps warming, herb-infused Scandinavian spirits and a plate of heart-shaped waffles dusted with sugar and jam to eat while we chatted about his hometown.
He did just that, leading the final 78 laps on the 312-lap race around PIR's odd-shaped oval in the first non-restrictor-plate race with NASCAR's new Gen-6 car.