WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Boris Said can’t seem to buy a break at Watkins Glen International.

Sprint Cup qualifying for the Centurion Boats at The Glen was canceled Friday because of rain for the fourth time in five years at the storied road course in upstate New York. That forced Said to park his No. 60 Ford for the second straight year here. Said has to qualify to race because he has only raced twice in 2008.

“It’s depressing because our four guys in the shop put in so much work,” said Said, also prevented from qualifying in 2000 and 2005. “Two years in a row we haven’t started the motor.”

It began raining just as the Cup cars were about to hit the track for their first practice at noon, and although the track was nearly dry by 2:45 p.m., NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said the day’s schedule did not afford enough time. A Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race was scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Said ran last year’s race after Bill Elliott voluntarily gave up his ride in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and finished 14th after starting 39th. This time, Kyle Petty gave Said the keys to the No. 45 Dodge.

Said, who was granted permission by Ford to switch brands for the race, will go off 40th. Expect him to bring home the car in one piece and not make any of the bonzai moves he’s known for.

“In my car, it’s go all-out and try to win it,” said Said, who finished third at Watkins Glen to Tony Stewart in 2005 after starting 41st. “I’d like to reward him. I’m going to try as hard as I can, but I have to restrain myself, not take any of those crazy chances. At least I’m running.”

Dixon unstoppable in IndyCar

SPARTA, Ky. — Helio Castroneves has a theory on why nobody can seem to catch IndyCar Series leader Scott Dixon.

“Scott seems to have a V12 engine,” Castroneves said after watching Dixon grab the pole for the Meijer Indy 300 on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway.

Dixon easily earned his fifth pole of the season, averaging 218.968 mph during his four-lap turn around the 1.5-mile oval, his Target Chip Ganassi car snapping Team Penske’s streak of three consecutive poles at the track. Vitor Meira will start outside the front row with a four-lap average of 218.409.

“It’s been pretty tough the last couple of weekends,” said Dixon, tied for second on the career IndyCar Series pole list with 13. “We’ve missed a little bit on qualifying, hopefully it looks like the car is pretty strong this week.”

Sarah Fisher qualified 16th in her first start since the Indy 500. Fisher called the car “OK” but admitted a lack of track time the last two months has them scrambling to keep up. Fisher set the track record while winning the pole here in 2002.

GOLF

Moody dies at age 74

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Orville Moody, the U.S. Army veteran who won the 1969 U.S. Open for his only PGA Tour title, died Friday. He was 74.

The PGA Tour said Moody, a part Choctaw Indian from Chickasha, Okla., died in Texas. The tour did not give a cause of death.

Called “Sarge” because of his 14 years in the service, Moody was the last player to win the U.S. Open after going through local and sectional qualifying. He shot a 72 in the final round at Champions Golf Club in Houston for a one-shot victory over Deane Beman, Al Geiberger and Bob Rosburg.

“We are all going to miss Sarge, who was a patriot first and a professional golfer second,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. “He embodied a bit of golf’s everyman whom we all could identify with.”

Moody was a five-time runner-up on the PGA Tour and won tournaments in Hong Kong, Morocco and Australia. A long putter helped revive his career when he joined the 50-and-over Senior PGA Tour in 1984, and his 11 victories included the 1989 U.S. Senior Open.