Track to be ready?

The jet engines have been drying the track for more than an hour now, and the rain has subsided to the occasional sprinkle. NASCAR won't decide until 1:15 whether they're going to roll this thing off on time, but for the time being it appears they're scheduling to race.

The rest of the day is according to plan, as John McCain made his scheduled campaign stop on the infield, arriving a few minutes late to the driver's meeting but addressing a crowd that greeted him with a standing ovation. His remarks were brief, and thanked the sport for being the "role models" of soldiers watching them race in Afghanistan and Iraq.

McCain was joined by his wife Cindy (in a sequined McCain-Palin cap), New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his wife Shonda. Speedway owner Bruton Smith was also in attendance, posing with the dignitaries for a photo with a half dozen soldiers who were on hand.

Also in attendance was the band Of A Revolution, which the cynics might say was an ironic choice given that McCain's opposition for the presidency is a candidate who is running on the platform of change. OAR left the meeting without taking the opportunity to greet the Republican nominee.