April NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson takes No. 1 spot
April Power Rankings
1. Kyle Larson (Last month 3rd)
Larson scored a dominating win at Bristol, leading 411 of 500 laps, won three stages (two at Bristol and one at Talladega) and ranked first in the series in stage points scored in April with 39. He followed the Bristol win with a second-place finish at Talladega. That was enough to offset his Darlington stumble when he spun in the early laps and damaged his car. His team needed about 160 laps to repair the vehicle before he returned tot he race. Even with that incident, Larson ranked third in the series in points scored in April with 115.
2. William Byron (2nd)
He did not win a race in April but scored the most points (130). Byron finished second at Darlington after leading the first 243 laps, placed sixth at Bristol and was third at Talladega. He won two stages in the month.
3. Denny Hamlin (5th)
He ranked second for the month in points scored with 119. He won at Darlington, finished second at Bristol and was 21st at Talladega. He had 28 stage points in the month.
4. Austin Cindric (NR)
The Talladega winner ranked fourth in points scored for the month with 97. He also finished 11th at Darlington and 17th at Bristol in the month.
5. Ty Gibbs (NR)
He had two top 10s in the the three April races, placing third at Bristol and ninth at Darlington. His other finish was 17th at Talladega. He moved from 31st to 22nd in the standings with his 92-point performance in April.
Those just missing the top five
Chase Elliott — He scored 90 points in April, notching finishes of eighth (Darlington), 15th (Bristol) and fifth (Talladega).
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Tyler Reddick — He scored 90 points in April with finishes of fourth (Darlington), 14th (Talladega) and 18th (Bristol).
Joey Logano vs. …
The month started with Ross Chastain saying he was 'confused' by what Joey Logano said about him after the Martinsville race and that to 'call me those names is not appreciated. Not warranted I don't think.'
Logano was critical of how Chastain raced at Martinsville and said: 'He just races like a jackass every week and I keep paying the price. I'm sick of paying the price.'
Chastain responded a few days later by saying: 'Honestly, pretty disappointing that the would do that, to take feelings he had from COTA and other races and then take Martinsville and get out and just blast that.'
NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix - Qualifying
Ross Chastain calls Joey Logano's comments about him at Martinsville 'pretty disappointing'
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Ross Chastain discussed Wednesday the comments Joey Logano made last weekend.
The month ended with Logano finding himself in a feud with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones.
It started when Logano ranted on the radio about teammate Austin Cindric not helping him win stage 2 at Talladega, allowing Bubba Wallace to do so.
Jones criticized Logano on social media for not being a proper team player by criticizing Cindric in such a manner. Logano wasn't aware of Jones' comments until told so during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Logano's response? 'Has Chipper Jones ever driven a race car at Talladega? That would be my first question. I'm pretty certain he hasn't.'
Joey Logano responds to Chipper Jones' criticism over radio rant about Austin Cindric at Talladega
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Joey Logano told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he and Austin Cindric have talked about what happened at the end of stage two at Talladega.
Stat of the month
71.8%
Percentage of the 985 laps run in April that Hendrick Motorsports drivers led.
Social media moment of the month
Scott Graves, crew chief for Chris Buescher, wasn't pleased with Denny Hamlin at Talladega.
Hamlin's push turned Christopher Bell into Chris Buescher and both cars wrecked off Turn 2 on a restart.
Graves went to social media to criticize Hamlin while also noting Hamlin's sponsor for the race, Progressive Insurance.
Looking ahead to May
May 4 — Texas
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May 11 — Kansas
May 18 — All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
All three points races in May will be at 1.5-mile tracks. Those types of tracks have provided some of the best racing with the Next Gen.
The May 11 race at Kansas Speedway will mark the final track in the regular season that also will host a playoff race. Already, the series has raced at playoff tracks at Darlington, Bristol, Las Vegas, Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix.
Also, Kyle Larson will attempt to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. Weather thwarted his effort last year and he ran in only the Indy 500.
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