‘In The Loop’ At Talladega Superspeedway

Bowyer: Jekyll And Hyde At Talladega


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2008) – Which Clint Bowyer will show up this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway?

Will it be the Bowyer who flourishes at Talladega when racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, or the Bowyer who struggles mightily there in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?

The Bowyer statistical gap from series-to-series at Talladega is a large one. He’s at both ends of the success spectrum.

In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Bowyer has three starts, all with finishes inside the top 20 (including a fifth-place run in 2006).

But in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Bowyer only has one Top-30 run in four races – an 11th the last time the series raced there.

Below are Bowyer’s race logs in the two series at Talladega (all driver race logs can be seen at NASCARMedia.com):

Bowyer at Talladega – NASCAR Nationwide Series
Date Finish ARP FLR LT15 DR
4/05 19 13 2 49.2% 92.5
4/06 5 9 3 88.0% 98.8
4/07 13 10 1 75.8% 90.0
Total 12.3 10.5 6 70.9% 93.8
ARP: Average Running Position
FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15
DR: Driver Rating

Bowyer at Talladega – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Date Finish ARP FLR LT15 DR
5/06 40 39 0 .5% 33.9
10/06 35 22 5 29.8% 56.7
4/07 35 31 2 7.8% 46.8
10/07 11 24 9 16.5% 85.8
Total 30.3 29.2 16 13.6% 55.8

The differences in the numbers are stark. While in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Bowyer has never dipped below a 90.0 Driver Rating; in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, he has yet to break 90.0.

In terms of Driver Rating, Talladega is Bowyer’s worst track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

Bowyer – Worst 5 Tracks in Driver Rating
Avg.
Name Driver Rating
Talladega 55.8
Las Vegas 63.2
Pocono 72.2
Michigan 73.0
Martinsville 75.0

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Through eight races this season, the pre-race Driver Rating continues to be a useful and accurate tool when analyzing the upcoming race. Most recently, Jimmie Johnson won at Phoenix after having the top pre-race Driver Rating.

Overall:
• Six of the eight race winners had a pre-race Driver Rating in the top 10.
• Three of eight race winners had a pre-race Driver Rating in the top five.
• The top-ranked driver in pre-race Driver Rating finished in the top 10 in six of eight races.
• The top-ranked driver in pre-race Driver Rating finished in the top five in three of eight races.

All of the above stats could spell success for Jeff Gordon, who leads the series in pre-race Driver Rating at Talladega with a 98.5. The four-time series champion is eight points out of the top 12.