Stats tell two distinct tales for Bowyer at Talladega

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

But in the 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:

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

In terms of Driver Rating, Talladega is Bowyer's worst track in the Sprint Cup Series.

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.

• 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.