The Smoky Mountains became the Snowy Mountains on Saturday. Credit: Autostock

Snow forces cancellation of Busch qualifying

Sharpie Mini 300 lineup set by owners' points

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Bristol Motor Speedway took on the look of Lambeau Field on Saturday; snow canceled qualifying for the Busch Series' Sharpie Mini 300 (3 p.m. ET on FOX).

By 2:15 p.m. ET, the track had been dried and pre-race festivities were under way. However, pitroad was still wet and efforts were being made to dry those areas inside the retaining walls along the front- and backstretches.

Sharpie Mini 300 Lineup set by owners' points Pos. Driver Make 1. K. Harvick Chevy 2. J.J. Yeley Chevy 3. S. Wallace Dodge 4. C. Bowyer Chevy 5. S. Riggs Dodge • Complete lineup, click here

A handful of drivers had laid down qualifying attempts before snow began swirling inside the bowl-like, 533-mile track. After a delay of about 90 minutes, NASCAR made the decision to set the field via owners' points, per the series' rulebook.

Kevin Harvick will start from the pole with J.J. Yeley on the outside of Row 1. The rest of the top five: Steve Wallace, Clint Bowyer and Scott Riggs.

Wallace is making his second Busch Series start; he finished 15th last year at Memphis. Jamie McMurray ran the first five Busch races this year in the No. 64 Rusty Wallace Inc. car, accumulating the third-most owner points with Wallace now taking over behind the wheel.

Positions 1-20 and 22-35 were set with owners' points. Hendrick Motorsports' Brian Vickers sits 21st, but he is not entered in Saturday's race, thus No. 36 in owners' points -- driver Joel Kauffman -- moves up to fill the top 35.

A.J. Foyt IV will start 36th based on a 2005 winning owner provisional, and Nos. 37-43 are set via owners' points.

Four drivers were eliminated from the lineup: Shane Hall, Caleb Holman, Jerry Robertson and Brad Teague.

Wet weather on Friday also canceled Busch and Cup series practice sessions as well as Cup qualifying for Sunday's Sharpie 500 (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

The field for Sunday's Food City 500 will be set by 2005 owners' points, since the Cup Series has not run five races. Defending series champion Tony Stewart will start from the pole and Greg Biffle will be on the outside of Row 1.