NASCAR at Dover Qualifying Canceled Due to Weather

NASCAR announced Friday that qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series' AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway in Delaware has been canceled due to weather problems in the area.  

Jim Utter of Motorsport.com noted the decision means current Chase for the Sprint Cup leader Matt Kenseth will start from the pole position Sunday. Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com added that no cars will need to be removed from the field since there were only 43 on the entry list.

Sunday's race is the third and final one of the Challenger Round, the first phase of the Chase. After the dust settles, the bottom four drivers among the 16 that qualified for NASCAR's version of the playoffs will be eliminated from contention.

Zack Albert of NASCAR.com provided a statement from a Dover track spokesperson, who said they continue to monitor the forecast, including any potential impact from Hurricane Joaquin over the weekend: "We work closely with NASCAR, the National Weather Service and our on-site meteorologist to monitor weather during our major events. We are currently tracking this weekend's weather and will update fans via social media, and our website, as information becomes available."

Without qualifying, the field will be set by the current points standings. That means Denny Hamlin will join Kenseth on the front row, and the entire Chase group will occupy the first eight rows.

That's bad news for the four drivers currently outside of the cut line to make the next round (Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer). They would have liked the opportunity to qualify high, improving their chances to climb the standings. Now, they will need to pass their main competition.

The good news for fans is that having all of the Chase drivers bunched closely together should lead to plenty of drama during Sunday's elimination race.