▁until ▁the ▁following ▁Saturday . ▁Robert ▁Mc F ar land ▁of ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Opera , ▁who ▁had ▁performed ▁the ▁national ▁anth em ▁in ▁two ▁previous ▁years , ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁sing ▁the ▁song . ▁However , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁rain ▁delay ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁return . ▁John ▁S . ▁Dav ies , ▁the ▁Art ist - in - res idence ▁of ▁the ▁Indian apolis ▁Opera ▁was ▁brought ▁in ▁as ▁a ▁replacement . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁race ▁was ▁ra ined ▁out ▁on ▁Sunday , ▁and ▁the ▁start ▁was ▁res ch eduled ▁for ▁Monday . ▁N ab ors ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Pur due ▁band ), ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁grounds ▁by ▁Monday ▁morning . ▁R ather ▁than ▁find ▁a ▁last - min ute ▁replacement , ▁N ab ors ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁Speed way ▁util ize ▁a ▁recording ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁previous ▁performances . ▁The ▁Speed way ▁re play ed ▁his ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁rend ition , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁well - rece ived ▁by ▁the ▁fans . ▁Two ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁race , ▁N ab ors ▁can ce led ▁his ▁appearance ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁ill ness . ▁On ▁race ▁morning , ▁N ab ors ▁recorded ▁a ▁special ▁video ▁gre eting ▁to ▁the ▁fans ▁from ▁his ▁Hawai i ▁home , ▁which ▁was ▁stream ed ▁over ▁the ▁Internet . ▁F ans ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁sing ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Pur due ▁band , ▁and ▁a ▁" get ▁well ▁soon " ▁message ▁was