Concord, NC -- (Sports Network) - Persistent rain forced NASCAR to cancel Thursday night's qualifying for the Bank of America 500 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.

By rule, the starting lineup for Saturday's Sprint Cup Series race will be set by owner points, giving Jimmie Johnson the pole position. Johnson leads all active drivers with five victories at Lowe's, including four straight from 2004-05.

"To have the first pit stall is going to be helpful since things happen on pit road," Johnson said. "It is an advantage being in that first pit stall at Lowe's Motor Speedway."

Johnson currently holds a 72-point lead over Carl Edwards, who will start on the outside pole.

Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton will make up row two, while Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick will start in the third row.

The remaining "Chase for the Sprint Cup" contenders - Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin - will start seventh through 12th, respectively.

Bryan Clauson, Brad Keselowski, Scott Speed and Derrike Cope did not make the field. Clauson, Keselowski and Speed were attempting to make their first career Sprint Cup starts this weekend at Lowe's.

Rain also scrubbed Sprint Cup practice in the afternoon, while Nationwide Series practice was cut short.

Johnson, competing in both races this weekend at Lowe's, expected a busy day at the track, but that wasn't the case.

"I made seven laps in the Nationwide car, looked at my Cup car, ate a bunch of junk food in the trailer and now I'm ready to go home, I guess," Johnson said.

Sprint Cup final practice is scheduled for Friday evening. The green flag is scheduled to drop Saturday around 7:30 p.m. (et).