Watkins Glen, NY -- (Sports Network) - Rain forced cancellation of Friday's qualifying for the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Morning practice was also scrubbed because of inclement weather.

By rule, the starting grid for Sunday's race at Watkins Glen will be set by the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points, giving Kyle Busch the pole position. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will start on the outside of the first row.

Carl Edwards and two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson will make up the second row.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Jeff Burton (fifth), Jeff Gordon (sixth), Tony Stewart (ninth), Kevin Harvick (11th), Clint Bowyer (12th), Matt Kenseth (13th) and David Ragan (14th).

Without the opportunity to make a qualifying attempt, Boris Said and Brian Simo will miss Sunday's race.

Five races remain until the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" begins September 14th at New Hampshire, and the spotlight shines ever-brighter on the 12th-place cut-off. Only 97 points separate ninth-place Stewart from 14th-place Ragan.

Kenseth fell out of the top-12 after an 11th-place finish Sunday at Pocono. Kenseth is now 11 markers behind 12th-place Bowyer. He was eighth in points after the July 12th race at Chicagoland, but has fallen five positions since then. Kenseth and Johnson are the only drivers to compete in the "Chase" every year since the championship program began in 2004.

Even though he was involved in a crash in the opening laps at Pocono, Harvick rallied for a fourth-place finish, and as a result, moved up two spots in the standings. Harvick sits in the 11th spot, eight markers ahead of his Richard Childress Racing teammate Bowyer.

Harvick has an impressive record at The Glen, recording one victory (2006) and four top-10 finishes in seven races. Harvick, unfortunately, finished 36th in last year's race after being involved in an incident with Juan Pablo Montoya. Martin Truex, Jr. got into the back of Montoya, sending him into the turn too fast as he hit Harvick. The two got out of their cars and started pushing and yelling at each other.

Stewart is the defending race winner. Stewart watched as Gordon slid off the track with two laps to go last year. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver held off his teammate Denny Hamlin at the finish line by 2.460 seconds for his third victory of the season and his 32nd career victory in the series. Gordon, the points leader at the time, ended up finishing ninth.

Meanwhile, Sunday's weather forecast at Watkins Glen calls for scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. NASCAR has brought 600 rain tires on reserve.

The sanctioning body used rain tires for the first points-paying race last week in the Nationwide event at Montreal.

The green flag is scheduled to drop around 2 p.m. (et).