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Daytona qualifying rained out, Stewart awarded pole

Fri 3rd, July 2009

Daytona Beach, FL (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).