NASCAR at Chicago 2015 Qualifying Canceled: Updated Race Order and Reaction

Due to inclement weather, NASCAR qualifying at Chicagoland Speedway for the MyAfibRisk.com 400 was canceled Friday evening.

ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass provided racing fans with a look at the bad weather moving toward the track:

It's an anticlimactic way to start the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as the field for the first of three events in the Challenger Round was set after the first practice.

Here is a look at the top 24 drivers for Sunday's race. For the full order, visit NASCAR.com:

Position	Driver	Best Time (Seconds)
1	Kevin Harvick*	28.675
2	Joey Logano*	28.737
3	Brad Keselowski*	28.750
4	Martin Truex Jr.*	28.754
5	Austin Dillon	28.760
6	Ryan Newman*	28.813
7	Kyle Busch*	28.893
8	Kasey Kahne	28.922
9	Kurt Busch*	28.958
10	Jeff Gordon*	28.959
11	Jimmie Johnson*	28.961
12	Matt Kenseth*	28.967
13	Jamie McMurray*	29.017
14	Carl Edwards*	29.018
15	A.J. Allmendinger	29.027
16	Paul Menard*	29.028
17	Greg Biffle	29.033
18	Kyle Larson	29.051
19	Dale Earnhardt Jr.*	29.055
20	Aric Almirola	29.055
21	Brian Scott	29.061
22	Sam Hornish Jr.	29.067
23	Tony Stewart	29.085
24	Casey Mears	29.159

Kevin Harvick earned the pole at Chicagoland, the first time he'll ever start from the top spot at this particular race track. It's also his second pole win of the season.

He was the only driver to go under 26.7 seconds during practice, as his stellar qualifying tendencies are carrying over from the regular season, according to NASCAR Stats:

The rain, however, was not making NASCAR happy:

NASCAR was really, really unhappy:

Winning the pole or qualifying close to it is imperative for drivers in the Chase. The first two rows for Sunday's race are in the Chase, with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. joining Harvick. 

Keselowski, who will start in third, has performed well at Chicagoland throughout his career. In four races, he has won once and finished in the top five twice. 

Even though he's toward the top of the race order, he isn't happy with the way qualifying is decided when bad weather arrives:

Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer, both participating in the Chase, were burned by the weather, as they will be starting toward the bottom of the order. Bowyer will start in 26th, while Hamlin will be in 29th. 

It's tough enough that Hamlin will be the lowest-starting driver in the Chase. Add that to the fact that he's nursing a torn ACL, and his efforts seem to be almost heroic. 

The pressure is going to start to build for NASCAR's top 16 drivers. With their seasons officially on the line, there will be no holding back on this 1.5-mile track. With plenty of room to work with, drivers who have nothing to lose could resort to some aggressive moves that should provide for an entertaining race. 

Stats courtesy of NASCAR.com.