Newz Forum: AUTO: NASCAR: Wet track leaves Johnson on pole

A wet track from earlier rain prevented qualifying Friday at Watkins Glen International, giving NASCAR Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson the pole for Sunday's Sirius at The Glen.

Teammate Jeff Gordon will start second in a field set by car-owner points. Gordon, coming off a victory in the Brickyard 400, will be seeking his unprecedented fifth victory on the Watkins Glen road course.

The rest of the top 10 starters, also set by points, will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman.

Johnson holds a 97-point lead over Gordon with five races remaining until the standings for the top 10 are reset at five-point intervals for the final 10 races to decide the Nextel Cup title. Gordon leads the circuit with five victories, including three in the last six races, and Johnson is second with four wins.

Rain could be a factor Sunday with Hurricane Charley approaching.


AP News