NASCAR cancels Cup qualifying after Chicago storms

Published 7:21 pm Thursday, July 10, 2008

JOLIET, Ill. — The line of strong storms moving in on Chicagoland Speedway was so big, bad and dark blue that it looked more like an impending tidal wave on the horizon.

With sheets of rain pounding the track and flashes of lightning across the sky, NASCAR officials canceled Thursday night’s Sprint Cup series qualifying at Chicagoland Speedway.

“That was pretty ugly,” driver Jeff Burton said.

The field for Saturday night’s race will be set according to car owner points, putting series points leader Kyle Busch on the pole position and Dale Earnhardt Jr. alongside him on the front row.

Busch wasn’t entirely happy with his car’s speed in practice Thursday afternoon, and hopes the rain stays away for Friday’s practice.

“Hopefully, we can get it better tomorrow — if we can practice tomorrow,” said Busch, who leads the series with six victories.

Burton will start third, alongside Carl Edwards. With the field of 43 being set according to points, Johnny Sauter and Tony Raines failed to make the field.

Although this is the first year NASCAR will run under the lights at Chicagoland, drivers didn’t seem particularly upset about missing out on their first chance to drive the track at night. Qualifying laps don’t necessarily tell drivers and teams much about how the track will react under race conditions.

“Just qualifying at night, I don’t think, would have taught you anything about conditions for Saturday night,” Burton said.

Busch hopes to learn something about changing track conditions from Friday night’s Nationwide series race.

“We’ll get to see firsthand what the track’s going to do,” Busch said.

With no night practices scheduled before Saturday’s race, drivers and teams have to take educated guesses at which adjustments might help adapt the car to nighttime track conditions.

“There’s going to be a learning curve, for sure,” said Burton, who also is in Friday’s Nationwide race to learn track conditions.

Greg Biffle was fastest in the first practice session Thursday afternoon, with a lap of 179.748 mph.

After qualifying canceled Thursday; race Saturday

at Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.

1. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, owner points.

2. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, owner points.

3. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, owner points.

4. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, owner points.

5. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, owner points.

6. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, owner points.

7. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, owner points.

8. (9) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, owner points.

9. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, owner points.

10. (07) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, owner points.

11. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, owner points.

12. (20) Tony Stewart, Toyota, owner points.

13. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, owner points.

14. (6) David Ragan, Ford, owner points.

15. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, owner points.

16. (8) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, owner points.

17. (12) Ryan Newman, Dodge, owner points.

18. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, owner points.

19. (1) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, owner points.

20. (43) Bobby Labonte, Dodge, owner points.

21. (28) Travis Kvapil, Ford, owner points.

22. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, owner points.

23. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, owner points.

24. (26) Jamie McMurray, Ford, owner points.

25. (5) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, owner points.

26. (19) Elliott Sadler, Dodge, owner points.

27. (15) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, owner points.

28. (55) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, owner points.

29. (44) David Reutimann, Toyota, owner points.

30. (22) Dave Blaney, Toyota, owner points.

31. (7) Robby Gordon, Dodge, owner points.

32. (41) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, owner points.

33. (01) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, owner points.

34. (00) Michael McDowell, Toyota, owner points.

35. (77) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, owner points.

36. (45) Terry Labonte, Dodge, past champion.

37. (21) Bill Elliott, Ford, past champion.

38. (66) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, owner attempts.

39. (84) AJ Allmendinger, Toyota, owner attempts.

40. (96) J.J. Yeley, Toyota, owner attempts.

41. (78) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, owner attempts.

42. (10) Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, owner attempts.

43. (70) Jason Leffler, Chevrolet, owner attempts.

Failed to qualify

44. (34) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, owner attempts.

45. (08) Johnny Sauter, Dodge, owner attempts.