A month into the season and stage points are making an impact on the season standings.
Joey Logano has become the first reigning Cup champion not to score a top 10 in the first four races of the following season, yet he is ninth in the points — because of stage points.
But he’s not the only driver impacted by the stage points. It’s made a difference at the top of the season standings and further down in the points.
Stage points played a key role in who made the playoffs last year and could do so again this season.
Logano is in the top 10 in points heading into Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway because he has scored 46 stage points this season — three behind William Byron’s series-high 49 points.
Logano’s stage point total is 40 more than he had at this time last year — the greatest gain since last year in the series.
“You go out there and you try to just maximize your day,” Logano said. “Get out there and lead laps, score as many stage points as you can, get the best finish you possibly can.”
Stage points also have kept Daytona 500 winner William Byron atop the standings even though Christopher Bell has won three of the first four races.
Byron has 23 more stage points than Bell. That’s allowed Byron to have a 13-point lead atop the standings ahead of Las Vegas.
“I’m content with the point system and understand the reason why I’m not leading the points is because I haven’t scored (enough) stage points,” Bell said of not having the points lead despite three wins this season. “I think it will sort itself out once we get more races into the regular season.”
Another driver who has benefitted from stage points is Ryan Preece. He has 18 stage points this season — he had none at this point a year ago. Preece is 24th in the standings. Without the 18 stage points, he would be 32nd in points.
Preece stayed out when others pitted and won a stage at Circuit of the Americas and was the first to go to the option tires last weekend at Phoenix and drove to third by the end of the first stage to score eight points.
“I think stage points are super important,” Preece said. “But also the philosophy that … RFK (Racing) really sets and that’s being aggressive.”
Last year, stage points proved critical for Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr., the only drivers to make the playoffs without a win.
Gibbs finished 12 points ahead of Chris Buescher, the first driver not to make the playoffs, but Gibbs had 39 more stage points than Buescher.
Truex finished six points ahead of Buescher last year for the final playoff spot and had 93 more stage points than Buescher.
Stage points scored in the first four races and the Daytona Duels
49 — William Byron
46 — Ryan Blaney
46 — Joey Logano
41 — Bubba Wallace
39 — Tyler Reddick
34 — Austin Cindric
26 — Christopher Bell
25 — Chase Elliott
18 — Ryan Preece
17 — Kyle Larson
17 — Alex Bowman
16 — Kyle Busch
16 — Josh Berry
15 — Denny Hamlin
15 — Erik Jones
14 — Todd Gilliland
14 — Shane van Gisbergen
13 — Chris Buescher
12 — Daniel Suarez
11 — AJ Allmendinger
10 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
10 — Carson Hocevar
9 — Brad Keselowski
8 — Ty Dillon
8 — Michael McDowell
7 — Ross Chastain
4 — Austin Dillon
2 — John Hunter Nemechek
1 — Noah Gragson
Biggest gain in stage points after four races in 2025 from the same point in 2024
+40 — Joey Logano
+31 — Bubba Wallace
+21 — William Byron
+18 — Ryan Preece
+16 — Josh Berry
+15 — Christopher Bell
Biggest decline in stage points after four races in 2025 from the same point in 2024
-30 — Kyle Larson
-27 — Denny Hamlin
-17 — Ty Gibbs
-14 — Tyler Reddick
-12 — Ross Chastain
-10 — Chase Elliott
