Rain stops Xfinity qualifying at Darlington

Rain stops Xfinity qualifying at Darlington

Rain forced the cancellation of NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Darlington Raceway on Friday.

After 16 of the 40 drivers had completed a lap, a shower descended on the circuit. Additional rain fell shortly after 6 p.m. ET, complicating track drying efforts. The session was officially cancelled just after 6:20 p.m. ET.

The starting lineup for Saturday’s Xfinity race will be determined using the Performance Metrics Qualifying formula as a result of the cancellation.

Starting in the first row will be Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry. Chase Elliott and Brennan Poole, both regulars in the NASCAR Cup Series, failed to qualify.

The PMQ formula is determined by the results of the preceding race. 15 percent of the fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish place, 25% of the owner’s final race position, and 35% of the owner points position are used in the algorithm. The rule book will break any ties.

Elliott was the second-fastest of the 16 drivers who completed a lap before the rain came. Poole finished eighth. Elliott, who was driving a fifth car for JR Motorsports (No. 88) this weekend, stated earlier Friday that he entered the Xfinity race because he believed he had struggled at Darlington in recent years and needed more laps.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway is set to start at 1:48 p.m. ET on Saturday. FS1 is providing coverage.

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