The Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. - NASCAR Winston Cup points leader Matt Kenseth got his first pole of the season Friday when rain washed out qualifying at New Hampshire International Speedway.

The 43-car field for the New England 300 was set by car owner points, giving Kenseth - who has led the series standings since March - the top starting spot for Sunday's race.

"One of the benefits of being up in the points is it's a good place to start," Kenseth said. "So I'll love it when it rains on Fridays."

His Roush Racing team's one weakness this season has seemed to be qualifying - Kenseth typically has found himself starting races in the middle of the pack in his Ford. He's cracked the top 10 in qualifying only twice this year when the field was set by time trials, and both times he qualified fourth.

Sunday will mark just the seventh time in Kenseth's 131 career starts he'll start in the top five.

But by starting first on Sunday, Kenseth will try to earn the five-point bonus that goes with leading one lap.

"It's great to start up front, especially here - well, actually, anywhere with the way I qualify," Kenseth said.

Jeff Gordon, who trails Kenseth by 165 points in the standings, will start second in a Chevrolet.

IRL: Scott Dixon shattered a Nashville Speedway record with a lap of 206.211 mph at Gladeville, Tenn., to win a record-tying third consecutive pole.

Only Billy Boat in 1998 had won three straight poles. Dixon's top start in tonight's Firestone Indy 200 comes after his poles at Richmond and Kansas City.

Dixon erased Boat's year-old track record of 203.744, taking only 22.69 seconds to get around the 1.33-mile concrete oval for his fourth pole of the season. His lap was more than three seconds faster than Boat's 2002 pole run.

FORMULA ONE: Michael Schumacher raced his Ferrari to the fastest speed in prequalifying, earning the last spot in today's qualifying session for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England. The Williams-BMW cars of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher trailed the defending series champion, who had a fast lap of 1:19.474.

BUSCH SERIES: Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole for today's New England 200 when qualifying at Loudon, N.H., was canceled because of rain. The starting order was set by owner's points.

Harvick, a Winston Cup regular who splits driving time with Johnny Sauter in the No. 21 Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing, will start first. Scott Riggs will start second and Jamie McMurray, another Cup regular, will start third.

TRUCK SERIES: Points leader Travis Kvapil will start from the pole in today's Ram Tough 200 after Friday's qualifying was rained out at Madison, Ill.

WINSTON CUP

New England 300

Site: Loudon, N.H.

Schedule: Sunday, race (2 p.m., TNT).

Track: New Hampshire International Speedway (oval, 1.058 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 317.4 miles (300 laps).

Last year: Ward Burton collected his first victory since the season-opening Daytona 500 by winning the New England 300.

Next race: Pennsylvania 500, July 27, Long Pond

BUSCH SERIES

New England 200

Site: Loudon, N.H.

Schedule: Today, race (1 p.m., TNT).

Track: New Hampshire International Speedway (oval, 1.058 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 200 miles (211.6 laps).

Last year: Bobby Hamilton Jr. came from 17th with 64 laps to go and won the Busch 200 at New Hampshire

Next race: Colorado 250, July 26, Fountain, Colo.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Ram Tough 200

Site: St. Louis

Schedule: Today, race (Speed Channel, 9 p.m.).

Track: Gateway International Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.25 miles, 11 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 9 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race distance: 200 miles (160 laps).

Last year: Terry Cook broke an 88-race victory drought by winning the Dodge Ram Tough 200.

Next race: Sears 200, July 26, Brooklyn, Mich.

FORMULA ONE

British Grand Prix

Site: Silverstone, England

Schedule: Today, qualifying (9 a.m., Speed Channel); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 7:30 a.m.).

Track: Silverstone Circuit (road course, 3.194 miles, 14 turns).

Race distance: 191.64 miles (60 laps).

Last year: Michael Schumacher won the race for his seventh victory of the season and the 60th of his career.

Next race: German Grand Prix, Aug. 3, Hockenheim.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Firestone Indy 200

Site: Gladeville, Tenn.

Schedule: Today, race (8 p.m., ESPN2).

Track: Nashville Superspeedway (tri-oval 1.33 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 266 miles (200 laps).

Last year: Alex Barron outran Gil de Ferran in the final two laps after a restart, winning the Firestone Indy 200 by 0.42 seconds for his first IRL victory in only his 11th start.

Next race: Michigan Indy 400, July 27, Brooklyn.

CART

Next race: Molson Indy Vancouver, July 27, Vancouver, British Columbia.