Qualifying washed out

The qualifying session for the Nextel Cup race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International was canceled Friday because of moisture on the track.

Dark clouds hovered over the 2.45-mile road course but never really opened up. It was moisture from rainfall during recent days that kept rising to the track’s surface, spoiling qualifying and practice sessions.

The 43-car field for Sunday’s 90-lap Sirius at the Glen race is set largely on current owner points.

Jimmie Johnson, the current drivers points leader, is on the pole. Jeff Gordon, a four-time winner at the Glen, will start next to Johnson on the front row.

Hamilton Jr. wins Truck pole

Bobby Hamilton Jr. claimed the pole in just his third start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the fastest of 18 drivers to break the Nashville Superspeedway qualifying record in Gladville, Tenn.

Hamilton, driving a Dodge, turned a lap at 160.990 mph over the 1.333-mile concrete speedway to take the top spot for today’s Toyota Tundra 200.

Records fall in Denver’s opening runs

Race organizers tweaked the course at the Grand Prix of Denver to create more excitement for the fans.

If the first round of qualifying is any indication, it’s a rousing success.

Champ Car series leader Sebastien Bourdais closed out a flurry of record-setting times, securing the provisional pole in the first round of qualifying for the Grand Prix of Denver.

Bourdais earned a front-row spot for Sunday’s 90-lap race, finishing the 1.65-mile course in 1 minute, 0.413 seconds (98.740 mph).