Weather washes out qualifying

Weather washed out qualifying for NASCAR’s first stop this season at a short track and Martin Truex Jr. will start today from the pole at Martinsville Speedway.

There was no qualifying session because of a wintry mix that moved through the Virginia area and halted the Truck Series race after just 23 laps Saturday. NASCAR postponed the Truck Race and set the Cup field by owner’s points.

The Truck Race is scheduled to resume today’s Cup event.

Truex is the defending Cup Series champion and is coming off his first victory of the season last week in California. He led both of Saturday’s practice sessions, which NASCAR was lucky to get in before the weather disrupted its first two-day “enhanced weekend” of the year.

NASCAR is trying a new attack in certain markets in which cars are only on track for two days instead of three, it saves teams money and gives the drivers time to do fan events.

NASCAR was hopeful the weather would clear and both Cup and Trucks can be completed today. Next weekend is the first scheduled break for the Cup Series since the season began in early February at Daytona.

Brad Keselowski is the defending race winner and Jimmie Johnson, who has opened this season in a slump, leads all active drivers with nine victories at Martinsville. now after