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Daytona Qualifying Rained Out, Stewart Awarded Pole

Posted: 7:34 pm EDT July 3, 2009

(Sports Network) - Rain washed out Friday's qualifying session for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

A thundershower moved over the 2.5-mile track shortly before the start of qualifying. Track drying efforts could not be completed in time to fit the session in before Friday night's 250-mile Nationwide race at Daytona.

According to the rule book, the starting lineup for Saturday's 400-mile event will be set by owner points, which puts Tony Stewart on the pole for the second straight race. Last weekend, Stewart was awarded the pole at New Hampshire after qualifying was rained out there.

"Handling is always a big issue here at Daytona, and that's what makes racing here so much fun because it's a handling issue," Stewart said. "It's just not necessarily strategy of being in the right place at the right time, as much as you've got to have a good-balanced car to get to front and stay at the front."

Stewart currently holds a 69-point lead over Jeff Gordon, who will start on the outside pole.

Jimmie Johnson will start third, followed by Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards.

Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth will roll off sixth through 10th, respectively.

Biffle and Sam Hornish Jr. will have to start from the rear of the field after being involved in a crash during Thursday's practice. Both drivers were forced to use their backup cars.

"With the rainout, we've got to start in the back because we didn't make a lap with this car," Biffle said. "If we would've made one lap with this car, we could start in our starting spot of ninth."

Max Papis and Mike Wallace did not make the field.

Saturday's race is scheduled to start just after 8:00 p.m. (et).

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2009 Sprint Cup Schedule

Date Race Venue/Winner
02/15/09 Daytona 500
02/22/09 Auto Club 500 - California
03/01/09 Shelby 427 – Las Vegas
03/08/09 Kobalt Tools 500 - Atlanta
03/22/09 Food City 500 - Bristol
03/29/09 Goody's Fast Relief 500 - Martinsville
04/05/09 Samsung 500 - Texas
04/18/09 Subway Fresh Fit 500 - Phoenix
04/26/09 Aaron's 499 - Talladega
05/02/09 Crown Royal Presents the Your Name Here 400 - Richmond
05/09/09 Southern 500 - Darlington
05/16/09 Sprint All-Star Race – Concord
05/24/09 Coca-Cola 500 - Charlotte
05/31/09 Dover 400 - Dover
06/07/09 Pocono 500
06/14/09 LifeLock 400 - Michigan
06/21/09 Toyota/SaveMart 350 - Infineon
06/28/09 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 – New Hampshire
07/04/09 Coke Zero 400 - Daytona
07/11/09 LifeLock.com 400 - Chicagoland
07/26/09 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard - Indianapolis
08/02/09 Pennsylvania 500 - Pocono
08/09/09 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Glen
08/16/09 Michigan 400
08/22/09 Sharpie 500 - Bristol
09/06/09 Pep Boys Auto 500 - Atlanta
09/12/09 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Richmond
09/20/09 Sylvania 300 – New Hampshire
09/27/09 Dover 400
10/04/09 Kansas 400
10/11/09 Pepsi 500 - Fontana
10/17/09 Bank of America 500 - Charlotte
10/25/09 Tums Fast Relief 500 - Martinsville
11/01/09 Amp Energy 500 - Talladega
11/08/09 Dickies 500 - Texas
11/15/09 Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil – Phoenix
11/22/09 Ford 400 - Miami