Nationwide qualifying at Texas canceled due to rain

Mother Nature intervened with NASCAR again on Thursday, as the Nationwide Series' early start to the weekend was relegated to just one practice session.

Two practice sessions and qualifying was scheduled at Texas Motor Speedway, but rain prevented much of the on-track activity to take place. Drivers got in one practice session, but qualifying never got under way.

Kevin Harvick meets the media after being awarded the top starting spot in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series O'Reilly 300 race. Rain cancelled qualifying so per the rule book, the field is set by owner points.

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

The lineup for the O'Reilly 300 will be set by 2008 owner points, putting Kevin Harvick on the pole in his own No. 33 Chevrolet. Clint Bowyer will start on the outside of the front row in Richard Childress Racing's No. 2 Chevrolet. RCR teammate Jeff Burton, driving the No. 29 Chevrolet that Scott Wimmer won in last time out at Nashville, will start directly behind Bowyer. Defending series champion Carl Edwards will roll off third in Roush Fenway Racing's No. 60 Ford.

The top 11 in the starting grid is Cup heavy with the likes of Tony Stewart (sixth) in Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Toyota, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10th) in the No. 5 Chevy of Hendrick Motorsports, and Kasey Kahne, who wrecked his No. 9 Dodge of Gillett Evernham Motorsports in practice, starting 11th. Brad Keselowski is the only Nationwide-only regular among the group, starting ninth in JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevy.

David Reutimann, who will start fifth, led the practice session. His No. 99 Toyota of Michael Waltrip Racing was the only car to top 184 mph. Bowyer, Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch were the only drivers to reach 183 mph. Busch, this week driving JGR's No. 18 Toyota, will start 31st.

Although 44 cars were entered, the No. 0 Davis Motorsports car with driver Donnie Neuenberger withdrew before qualifying. The other 43 cars entered made the race.