April NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson takes No. 1 spot
Here is a look at the top drivers in April and some of the memorable moments in the sport last month.
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).
Advertisement
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'
Advertisement
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
Advertisement
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
Advertisement
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NASCAR Cup Series drivers take to Iowa Speedway for Goodyear tire test ahead of Iowa Corn 350
NEWTON, Iowa — Despite the gloomy weather on Tuesday, NASCAR Cup Series drivers were able to get some laps in at the Iowa Speedway. Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, and Chase Briscoe were at the speedway for the Goodyear Tire Test ahead of the Iowa Corn 350 in August. The test helps Goodyear collect data to decide the types of tires needed to perform the best on the track. And while conditions on Tuesday were far from what they'll be in August, drivers were still eager to hit the pavement. Iowa small business owners asking for relief in tariff war 'I feel like the things that we kinda learned so far are what tires not to bring back and race here, as we found one that just really, really wasn't conducive or comfortable to drive as a driver,' said NASCAR Cup Series Driver Kyle Busch. Last year, the Iowa Speedway underwent a partial repave of the track's four turns, with Cup drivers last year saying that the change added some additional challenges to the race. On Tuesday, drivers echoed those concerns during the tire test. 'It's kind of wild how much the color has changed since we were here last time. It was like jet black, and now it's like you almost don't even know it was repaved. But I would say that the grip levels are still fairly similar,' said NASCAR Cup Series Driver Austin Cindric. 'It's really tough when you come to, especially a fresh repave, because getting the rubber laid down is part of the process, and today it was one of those things where it was kind of challenging. You get here and it's super slick, it's almost like we're driving on ice,' said NASCAR Cup Series Driver Chase Briscoe. Despite the repave, each driver stated how they are excited to see the Cup Series return to the Iowa Speedway on August 3. Iowa News: NASCAR Cup Series drivers take to Iowa Speedway for Goodyear tire test ahead of Iowa Corn 350 Change of venue granted for embattled Madison County Treasurer, upcoming trial moved to Boone County Rain totals, lingering smoke, and the forecast Iowa small business owners asking for relief in tariff war Adventureland's former owner settles lawsuit over 11-year-old's drowning Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Last Night in Baseball: Freddie Freeman made this Dodgers comeback stick
There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to handle themselves. That's why we're here to help, though, by sifting through the previous days' games, and figuring out what you missed, but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: Dodgers finish the deed this time On Monday night, the Dodgers tied things up with the Mets in the ninth inning, handing Edwin Díaz his first blown save of 2025 in the process. They'd end up losing in extras anyway, however, thanks to Francisco Lindor and Friends. On Tuesday, things were the same. Well, mostly. The Mets once again went into the ninth inning in Los Angeles with a lead, and the Dodgers, once again, tied it up to force the game into extra innings — on Monday, it was a Shohei Ohtani sac fly that extended the game, and on Tuesday, it was the far more forceful power of one Max Muncy that did the trick. Muncy hit a no-doubt shot 407 feet into the right field stands, tying the score 5-5. Freddie Freeman would come to the plate in the 10th, with Tommy Edman on second base per the extra innings rules, and Ohtani on first after an intentional walk. Freeman would double, and then it was ballgame, Dodgers, a 6-5 victory to even up the four-game series at one a piece. It's not that the Dodgers have been outright struggling of late, but they have hit a bit of a rough patch, for them. They were 7-9 in their previous 16 games, dating back to the Angels sweeping them during rivalry weekend, so a walk-off win against the top team in the NL as of this moment is a boon. Especially after a failed comeback the night before against the same team. The Rockies won a series! The Rockies have faced the Marlins twice this week, and won both times. That's right: not only did they manage to win two games in a row for just the second time this season, but on this occasion they were even against the same team. That gave Colorado their first series win of 2025, snapping a 22-series-long losing streak that dated back to September 18 of 2024, when they took two of three from the Diamondbacks. Now, not to be a downer, but we have to do some contextualization here. The Rockies have won two in a row against a team that is now on pace for 99 losses because of that. The Rockies themselves are still on pace for 133 defeats, which would crush the new record set in 2024 by the White Sox by a dozen defeats. If the Rockies somehow won half of their remaining games in 2025, they'd still lose 100 for the season. They have dug themselves a very deep hole, and it's practically impossible to climb out of it in-season. Still, though, you can only take things one game at a time, as the cliché goes, and avoiding digging any further down has its merits. Bobby Witt powers Royals to victory with 4 RBIs It might have been the debut of highly touted prospect Jac Caglianone's, but Bobby Witt Jr. stole the headlines. The Royals' shortstop went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, two of which came on a two-run shot in the first inning, and the other two on a timely single in the fifth inning. The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind Witt's first-inning home run, but the St. Louis Cardinals scored seven unanswered runs. Trailing 7-2, the Royals chipped away. Witt's fifth inning single scored Kyle Isbel and Dylan Waters, and cut the margin to two. Later that inning, he came home on a two-RBI double from Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals scored five runs in the fifth inning to tie the game and added three more in the sixth, which was enough for the 10-7 win over the Cardinals. Caglianone, by the way, started at DH and went 0-for-5, so he's still on the lookout for his first big-league hit. But at least those first-game jitters were handled in a win. Marte and Carroll go Bash Bros. on the Braves The No. 1 and No. 2 hitters in the Arizona Diamondbacks' lineup combined for seven of the team's eight RBIs in their 8-3 win on Tuesday, and they did it with multi-home run nights. Second baseman Ketel Marte got things going with a solo shot in first inning. He followed that up with another dinger in the third inning that scored Carroll. With the Diamondbacks leading the Braves 4-3 in the fifth inning, Carroll extended their advantage with a solo shot. Then, in the ninth inning, he padded their lead with a towering three-run shot into right-center field. A game-saving catch The Brewers have been thriving of late, winning eight in a row in a stretch that includes back-to-back walk-off dubs. The Reds brought them back to Earth for at least one night, however, turning a would-be heroic moment for Milwaukee into just another out… and a loss. TJ Friedl robbed a potential game-tying home run to save a win for the Cincinnati Reds. With the score sitting at 4-2, with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and Caleb Durbin on base for Milwaukee, Jake Bauers hit a ball off of Reds' closer Emilio Pagán deep to center field. It was bound to clear the fence and tie the score, giving the Brewers a chance at their ninth win in a row, but Friedl reached his glove beyond the wall and snagged the ball. That out might count the same as any other out in the box score, but seeing it actually play out that like is where the whole "a picture is worth 1,000 words" thing comes in. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Freddie Freeman Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Denny Hamlin Warns Stenhouse Jr. 'Will Wreck' Hocevar For Nashville Crash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Denny Hamlin has warned that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. "will wreck" Carson Hocevar after the latter crashed into the rear of the Hyak Motorsports driver during the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Stenhouse Jr. then lost control of his car and crashed into the wall, leading him to finish the race last. Hocevar, meanwhile, secured second place. Newsweek Sports reported Stenhouse Jr.'s post-race comments, hinting at imminent retaliation against Hocevar. He said: "A lap or two before, he [Hocevar] tried to dive in there from about 10 car lengths back and then that time, I just opened my entry a little bit and he over-charged the corner and drilled us in the rear bumper. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race qualifying heat #2 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race qualifying heat #2 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina."I'd say it's not out of the norm from him, but I definitely wasn't expecting that at that point of the race. It's just a bummer for us." He added: "Bummed our day ended like that. Definitely will have something to do about it at one point." Now, Hamlin has backed Prime Video's on-air analysts, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte, who stressed that Stenhouse Jr. will strike back. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said: "The Amazon guys described this perfectly. Like, when I listened to the post-race, I thought they did a phenomenal job of saying and Carl said, 'Eventually, they'll be a price.' You're gonna be running really well and you can take this to the book: Ricky Stenhouse will absolutely wreck Carson Hocevar sometime in the near future. That's just a fact. I'd put this week's salary on it. I'm not kidding you. He ain't gonna punch him in the face, but he will absolutely wreck him because Ricky's that kind of guy who is going to feed into people saying, 'Are you going to get him?'" Warning Carson, Hamlin continued: "If you're Carson, just know that it's coming. So, don't be surprised. ... There's nothing I'm more confident of right now other than Jordan [Fish] having a baby and Ricky wrecking Carson. I just feel that is inevitable. I don't think there's anything Carson can say." Hamlin also praised the Prime Video analysts for pointing out the opportunity Hocevar had to make amends. He said: "This is where I think Amazon did a great job. Their analysts said that Carson had a shot to be empathetic to Ricky Stenhouse, who he just wrecked, in an interview and he chose not to. He [Hocevar] said, 'He could have cut me a break.' Hold on, this guy is wrecked, on the trailer and you're telling him he should have cut you a break? It's gonna come back to him. "Carson hasn't done anything egregious to me, yet, but I guarantee you that if he does, I'm going to get him because he has gotten a lot of people, and they haven't done anything about it."
