Sprint Cup qualifying rained out

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LOUDON, N.H., Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Qualifying for Sunday's Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup auto race in Loudon, N.H., was canceled by rain at the New Hampshire International Speedway.

The rainout means points leader Kyle Busch will start on the pole when the season-ending 2008 "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship begins.

Carl Edwards will start in the second spot.

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will make up row two, and Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin will start in row three.

"I just hope that a Top 10 is going to get the job done," said Johnson, the defending points champion.

Elsewhere, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth, the remaining "Chase" drivers, start in spots 7-12 respectively, and 18-year-old Joey Logano makes his Sprint Cup debut, driving the No. 96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing starting from the 40th position.

In the points chase, Busch leads with 5,080 points, Edwards is second at 5,050; and Johnson is third with 5,040 points.