For the third time this season bad weather forced NASCAR to cancel Bud Pole qualifying and decide the starting grid via the current Owner Points.
The Friday rain-out was also the third at the 2.45-mile New York state road course in the last four years and left several of the ‘road warriors' rather upset at NASCAR's refusal to alter the qualifying schedule and allow Bud Pole qualifying to take place on Saturday morning.
The rain-out meant that a number of the specialist road course racers brought in for this weekend only went home early having not been allowed to show the series regulars how its done. Among the list of non qualifiers were German driver Klaus Graf (BAM Racing), Brian Simo (Front Row Motorsports), Boris Said (No Fear Motorsport) and Aussie Marcos Ambrose (Robby Gordon Motorsports) and several of those, Said in particular, were very vocal in their displeasure at NASCAR's refusal to postpone qualifying until Saturday, when forecasts are good.
At the front of the starting field, championship leader Jeff Gordon will start from pole position with Denny Hamlin alongside and Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton on row two. Last year's Watkins Glen runner-up Tony Stewart will start fifth with Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, defending Watkins Glen winner Kevin Harvick and rookie Regan Smith (in the #01 Ginn/DEI Chevrolet) rounding out the top ten.
Plenty of pre-race favourites will be starting much further back than they would have done had qualifying been held including Infineon Raceway winner Juan Montoya (18th), road course ace Ron Fellows in for Tony Raines at Hall of Fame Racing (26th), the returning Robby Gordon (29th), series debutant Patrick Carpentier in the #10 Evernham Motorsports Dodge (40th) and PJ Jones in the #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota (41st).
![Rain was a major problem during practice and qualifying for the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway. [Photo Credit Autostock]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/49805.jpg )
