Carey will be on national stage at Daytona

It ain't the Dixie Chicks, but there'll be a chick in Dixie singing the national anthem for the Daytona 500.

A footnote to most of the other news during testing, Mariah Carey will display her ample talents -- vocal and otherwise -- before the Great American Race.

	Mariah Carey

What, you were expecting Shania Twain? NASCAR has another definition for Twin 125s.

Faith Hill? Couldn't squeeze in the trip between babies.

Toby Keith? He'd put a boot in Tony Stewart's ... well, driver's seat.

Tim McGraw? See: Faith Hill.

Kenny Chesney? His latest CD is No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems; sounds like a natural for the infield crowd.

Alan Jackson? His No. 1 album was Drive, you know.

So, we'll be feted with Mariah. But before you get all hot 'n' bothered that she's not the Cup-crowd type, know this: One of Steve Park's girlfriends in high school was a friend of Carey. Park used to drive them around Long Island because he had a license and they didn't.

Here's my concern for anything associated with Ms. Carey: She's a slump waiting to happen.

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Derek Jeter dated her. And now the Yankees are in a horrible slump; two years, no World Series championships.

Even team owner team owner George Steinbrenner is beginning to pile on.

"As far as trying and being a warrior, I wouldn't put anyone ahead of him," The Boss said of Jeter in an interview with the New York Daily News. "But how much better would he be if he didn't have all his other activities? I tell him this all the time. I say, 'Jetes, you can't be everything to everybody. You've got to focus on what's important.'

"[Jeter] makes enough money that he doesn't need a lot of the commercials. ... When I read in the paper that he's out until 3 a.m. in New York City going to a birthday party, I won't lie. That doesn't sit well with me.

Carson Daly was witness to Carey's infamous breakdown on MTV's Total Request Live.

Yes, Last Call, his NBC late, late night talk schoomze is still on, but when was the last time anyone mentioned TRL as must-see TV? Or Last Call, for that matter.

Tommy Mottola and Carey were married. Now divorced. He was a Sony Music high roller who left to start his own music venture.

Last year, Mottola also was involved in an embarrassing feud with one of Sony's biggest stars, Michael Jackson. Jackson, disappointed with below-average sales and a perceived lack of promotion for his album, Invincible, publicly accused Mottola of being a racist.

Glitter. Missed it during its 15-minute release? I'm sure Blockbuster has a copy of this tale of a young singer eager to become a star. She dates a DJ who helps her get into the music business. The rest is history -- as was the film's box-office run, thankfully.

New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams. Carey sang the national anthem before last year's Super Bowl.

Neither of the teams made it back to the playoffs this season.

The point here is that for the 43 drivers who start their engines Feb. 16, nothing good can happen over the long haul.

Jeff Gordon's fifth -- much less record-tying seventh -- points championship? Fuhgeddaboudit.

A third trophy for Terry Labonte? Not gonna happen.

A second title for Stewart? Bobby Labonte? Dale Jarrett? Rusty Wallace? Bill Elliott? Nada, nope, never, nyet. Not happening, fellas.

I'm sure Carey's multi-octave voice will enthrall the masses. And I'd bet the farm FOX will provide alluring camera angles. But there's just something about her track record that leaves me busting at the seams for someone a bit more ... um, less risky ... not that I mind risqu?.

Jo Dee Messina would have been my pick. After all, her latest is A Joyful Noise, much like the sound of engines roaring to life.

B. Duane Cross is a senior producer for CNNSI.com.