- (Sports Network) - Persistent rain at the Martinsville Speedway Friday forced NASCAR (web|news) to cancel qualifying for the Tums QuikPak 500. The field for the Sprint Cup Series race has been set by owner points, giving Jimmie Johnson the pole position. Johnson, who holds a 69-point lead in the "Chase for Sprint Cup" standings, has won three of the last four races at Martinsville.

"I've had some chicken, rice, corn and probably 15 Hershey Kisses; two Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, took a slight nap, watched a little television and here we are," Johnson said after an uneventful day at Martinsville.

Jeff Burton, currently second in the standings, will start on the outside pole. Burton picked up his second victory of the season last week at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"I think it's really interesting, and I think it's exciting that all the guys racing for the championship start the race together," Burton said. "I think that it adds a level of excitement and intensity."

Two years ago, Burton held a 45-point lead after Lowe's, but dropped to sixth in the standings the following week at Martinsville when the Richard Childress Racing driver suffered engine failure, and ended up finishing 42nd.

Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards will make up row two, while RCR teammates Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick will start on the third row.

The remaining Chase contenders - Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin - will start seventh through 12th, respectively.

Scott Speed will make his first career Sprint Cup start, driving the No.84 Toyota for Red Bull Racing. Speed, a full-time competitor in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and part-time driver in the Craftsman Truck Series, will start 35th in his Cup debut.

Derrike Cope and Sterling Marlin did not make the field.

Rain also washed out Sprint Cup and Craftsman Truck Series practice at Martinsville. The Truck Series will qualify Saturday morning.

The weather for the remainder of the weekend in Martinsville looks much better with only a slight chance of showers forecasted for early Saturday and then mostly sunny for Sunday.

Sprint Cup final practice is scheduled for tomorrow. The green flag is scheduled to drop Sunday around 1:30 p.m. (et).

























































































Copyright 2008 The Sports Network
All rights reserved