It was an inauspicious start to the 10-race playoff for NASCAR's Nextel Cup championship with rain washing out qualifying yesterday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Only 16 cars ran laps on to the 1.058-mile oval before rain began falling. NASCAR officials waited more than an hour before deciding to set the lineup for tomorrow's Sylvania 300 mostly by car-owner points.

Jamie McMurray was the fastest of the drivers who did run, turning a lap of 131.975 mph. But he will start 11th in the 43-car field.

The 10 drivers who qualified to compete under NASCAR's new championship format will start ahead of McMurray.

Series leader Jeff Gordon, seeking his fifth title, and teammate and runner-up Jimmie Johnson have the front row.

The rest of the top 10, all separated in increments of five points for the first race of the title chase, will line up behind the Hendrick Motorsports teammates.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start third, followed by Tony Stewart, reigning series champion Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, July race winner Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman.

Villeneuve back in F1

Former series champion Jacques Villeneuve is back in Formula One, and his goal is clear: beat former team BAR-Honda.

The Canadian will drive the final three races of the season for Renault and then join Sauber-Petronas in a two-year deal.

Eleven months ago, the 1997 F1 champion quit BAR-Honda on the eve of the season-ending race in Japan after BAR announced it had signed Japan's Takuma Sato to replace him in 2004.

"The team and I share a common goal: to beat BAR to second place in the championship," Villeneuve said. "I am here to enjoy myself as well, but the priority is to contribute to Renault's fight in the championship."

Jaguar, Ford pull out of F1

Jaguar and parent company Ford are pulling out of Formula One racing at the end of this season after just two top-three finishes since joining the circuit in 2000.

Ford's decision to sell Jaguar and its Cosworth engine subsidiary is a blow to F1. Two of the sport's small teams -- Jordan and Minardi -- use Ford-made Cosworth engines.

Jaguar, whose drivers are Australia's Mark Webber and Austria's Christian Klien, is seventh in the F1 championship with 10 points. Jaguar entered F1 four years ago after buying out the Stewart Ford team. The team has been unable to compete with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Renault and BAR-Honda.

Sprague wins truck pole

Jack Sprague won a series-leading fifth pole of the season and extended his career record to 25 in qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at New Hampshire International Speedway. Sprague, driving a Chevrolet, turned a lap of 128.515 mph on the 1.058-mile oval and will start from the front of today's Sylvania 200. Steve Park was second at 128.307 in a Dodge, followed by the Toyota of Travis Kvapil at 128.260.