Sprint Cup qualifying wiped out at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa., July 31 (UPI) -- A steady rain Friday forced NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying for Sunday's scheduled Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.

The field will be set according to the current points standings, which means Tony Stewart will start on the pole.

It is the fifth time this season qualifying has been wiped out by bad weather. One of those occasions was the previous visit to Pocono last month.

Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards are in the second through fifth spots in the standings, followed by Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Scattered thunderstorms have been forecast for Sunday.