LOUDON, N.H. – Rain was the perfect exclamation point for Ricky Craven’s washout of a season.

Back for one final ride with the No. 32 Tide car, Craven will start 35th in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 after Nextel Cup qualifying was washed out by showers Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

The inclement weather means the starting grid for Sunday’s opening race for the Nextel Cup’s 10-race Chase for the Championship will be determined by owner points. The decision was not good news for Craven. The Maine driver has had a disastrous season, but had qualified a season-best 10th for the July race at NHIS.

Craven has always maintained a special bond with the track and its fans.

“This is a great place for me to be,” Craven said. ” I love New England. I’m a New England boy, and it’s always nice to go home. Under the circumstances, I think It’s a little extra special. It is the last ride in the Tide Monte Carlo — a team that’s been good to me and good for me. It comes to an end this weekend, but this is probably a good place for that to happen.”

Craven was flooded with conflicting emotions when he arrived at NHIS after sitting out the last two races. Craven and PPI car owner Cal Wells agreed two weeks ago to end their three-plus year tenure with NHIS serving as Craven’s bittersweet farewell.

Bobby Hamilton Jr. is the new driver of the No. 32.

“There’s a lot of emotion,” said Craven. “There’s some disappointment, obviously. I started the year with a three-year contract and I expected to honor that, to be in the Tide car for three years. We just got to the point where it wasn’t working. It’s not easy, but it’s reality.”

The day wasn’t a total washout for Craven. Driving in the Craftsman Truck Series for the first time in his career, Craven recorded the ninth fastest time and will start today in the fifth row.

That effort energized Craven, who has had little to smile about in 2004.

“Man, that is just a lot of fun out there in that truck,” Craven said. “I have to tell you that my expectations for (Saturday’s) race are pretty high. I am really looking forward to it. I feel good about the truck and I love this track. Probably the most fun I have had in a long, long time in a race car.”

Craven is the fourth of seven drivers taking turns at the helm of the Acxiom Celebrity All-Stars Silverado. The previous drivers have set a high standard..Tony Stewart placed third last weekend in that truck, while Robby Gordon drove it to a fourth-place finish the previous race.

Craven, 38, is still without a ride for next year, but several rumors have circulated about him stepping into current vacancies or possible future openings. Craven revealed that the situation remains fluid, but he isn’t ready yet to make an announcement.

“There’s a lot of things kicking around,” Craven said. “It’s about getting excited. I’m not sure if I’ll race again this year, by choice. I’m just really serious about 2005 and getting what I consider to be the right opportunity and I don’t know if I can do that bouncing in and out of different seats. I honestly am not interested in that.”

He is also not interested in resuming his career at the Busch level or the trucks, despite the fun he had in qualifying Friday.

“I was one of less than 20 drivers that went to victory lane last year in Nextel Cup. I think I’m qualified to be here. That’s my interest. If we get late in the year and there’s not a good opportunity in Nextel Cup, then I’ll have to kick back and think about options. It’s been a long road getting here. My thinking is we’re still only midway through the game.”

At the first race at NHIS in July, Craven and Wells announced that their partnership would end at the end of the season. By that point, Craven had not finished better 16th, but he believed that the team could turn things around down the stretch. But the struggles continued. In the next six races, Craven finished in the top 30 twice, with his best effort a 20th at Pocono.

Craven made the decision two weeks ago to walk away, with the understanding that Wells would allow him to come back one final time at NHIS.

Hamilton gave the team its best finish of the season when he placed 11th last weekend at Richmond.

With the one final race remaining, Craven realizes the difficult task facing him.A Nextel Cup victory is the only honor that has eluded Craven at NHIS.

“The expectations are always high when I come to New Hampshire,” Craven said. “Under the circumstances people are thinking a Hollywood type scenario where we can win this thing in our final ride at home. I’m OK with that, but that’s a tall order.”

NOTES: Rains also postponed the Featherlite Modified Series race. The race, with Ted Christopher on the pole, will be held today at 5 p.m., creating a triple-header. The Craftsman Truck race kicks off the festivities at 1 p.m., followed by the Busch North race. Two-time defending champion Andy Santerre of Cherryfield, Maine, holds an 80-point lead with three races remaining.