P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The streak is over. Rain ultimately led NASCAR to cancel Saturday’s planned Cup Series qualifying session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, ending a run of 39 consecutive race weekends where the ser…
NASCAR had to cancel the Saturday Cup Series qualifying session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway due to rain, breaking a streak of 39 consecutive race weekends with qualifying sessions. A pop-up shower disrupted the qualifying session after a morning Whelen Modified Tour race and before the scheduled Cup practice at 12:30 p.m. ET. As all 36 entries were locked into the field, NASCAR decided to cancel qualifying and focus on providing teams with practice time, setting the starting lineup using performance metrics. Chase Elliott, who recently took the points lead for the first time since 2022, will start at the front alongside Ryan Blaney in Sunday’s race. Chevrolet teams have historically struggled at the New Hampshire track, where Elliott has had limited success. The race, the USA Today 301, will start at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, with Kyle Larson starting 19th, eight points behind Elliott in the standings.
