Rain cancels qualifying

Qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Auto Club 500 in Fontana was canceled Friday because of rain, so stock car racing’s marquee series will rely on last year’s owners points to determine the top 35 starting positions for Sunday’s race.

Jimmie Johnson’s Cup title from last season continues to pay dividends. His Chevrolet will start alongside Rick Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, who was second in last year’s championship. They have combined for five victories and three poles on the two-mile oval, which was renamed the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California.

Gordon has won three times, Johnson twice -- including last year’s Labor Day race -- in the speedway’s 15 Cup races.

“A good starting spot goes a long way in these races, and staying up front in clean air is pretty important in these cars,” said Clint Bowyer, who will start third in his Richard Childress Chevrolet.

Six times the winning driver has come from the top five, but never the pole position. This is the first race on an intermediate track using the Car of Tomorrow.

Matt Kenseth, who won the last two February races at the speedway, will start fourth in his Jack Roush Ford. Ryan Newman, who won the Daytona 500 for Dodge and owner Roger Penske, will start 13th.

No cars took the track Friday. Jet engines were used to blow the track dry after heavy rains, but water continued to seep through cracks in turns 3 and 4.

Subsequent criteria for setting the field were the past champion’s provisional points, used by Kurt Busch, Dale Jarrett and Bill Elliott; this season’s owner points, used by Brian Vickers, David Reutimann and Michael Waltrip; and current standings, used by John Andretti and Joe Nemechek.

Final Cup practice begins today at 2 p.m. The Craftsman Truck Series race begins at noon, and the Nationwide Series race begins at 4:30 p.m.

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martin.henderson@latimes.com

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AUTO CLUB 500

* When: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

* TV: Channel 11

* Starting positions, D8