First Keith Urban, then an online chat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It was raining when I finally got out of bed this morning in Daytona, but at the time that was the least of my problems.
I was supposed to be in the infield at the track at 8:45 a.m. at ESPN's pit studio to do a thing on "Outside the Lines." The show started at 9 and I was supposed to be on live at 9:09.
When I opened my eyes, the clock in my condo said 8:09. That could not be right. I had set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. but, being the genius I am, forgot to turn the actual alarm on. So the clock was not lying.
I took a drive-by shower and decided not to shave. I figured a little bit of stubble would be better than new nicks for those viewing in high-definition. I dressed, bolted for the car and fought my way into the track by 8:40. It was pure luck that I got there that fast. I made it to the studio just a couple of minutes late and did my little deal on the air.
Not the kind of stress you need on race morning in Daytona.
It was raining pretty good out on the beach when I left but here at the track it hasn't really rained a lot as of 12:20. There's rain all around us on the radar, and there's no telling if we'll get the race in on time without delays or anything. It just depends on how lucky we get. I am trying to stay optimistic.
The highlight of the morning has been Keith Urban's appearance in the media center. Instead of just doing a press conference, he came in and did two songs and took question. He sang the old America song "Sister Golden Hair," took some questions, and then sang "Sweet Thing," his own new song.
Unlike a lot of people who make a living in the music business these days, this guy can carry a tune and he plays the guitar well. It was actually cool and he seems like a nice guy. Nicole Kidman was in the room, too, and somebody asked Urban what his favorite racing movie is. Kidman, of course, was in "Days of Thunder" with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, who also is here at the track today.
Urban was very clever with his answer. He paused for a minute and said, "Cars." Which, of course, is a very good racing movie.
On the subject of racing, I was honored to shake the hand of a true racing legend in the media center today. Mr. Raymond Parks, the car owner for 1949 NASCAR champion Red Byron, was here and I got a chance to tell him how he honors us with his presence.
We're still holding our breath here hoping the rain stays away enough for us to have a Daytona 500 today. I am scheduled for a live online chat at 1 p.m. on charlotteobserver.com, so come find us over there.
Happy race day, I hope.