During the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ford was involved in a harrowing overtime crash that flipped his car onto its left side and caused it to roll upside down exiting Turn 4. The dramatic incident, part of the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet, captured widespread attention as Smith emerged unhurt.
Smith was competing closely with teammate Todd Gilliland in the high lane near Turn 3 when John Hunter Nemechek’s aggressive maneuver caused contact with Smith’s left rear quarter panel. This triggered Smith’s vehicle to slide into the SAFER barrier before being forced sharply against the wall by Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota, resulting in Smith’s car tipping onto the driver’s side and rolling twice before landing upright.
Details of the Crash and Immediate Aftermath
The crash unfolded quickly as Smith’s car barrel-rolled down the steep banking in a sequence that visibly unsettled fans and officials. Despite the violent nature of the flip, Smith was able to exit the vehicle under his own power after medical evaluation at the infield care center. His survival and composure after such an accident were emphatic reminders of the safety progress in NASCAR.
Following the collision, Nemechek’s Toyota continued along the track, causing additional chaos by spinning Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry. Although Gibbs was able to continue racing, both Nemechek and Berry sustained significant damage, forcing their early exits from the event. All three—Smith, Nemechek, and Berry—were assessed and released from medical care after the incidents.
Drivers React to the Harsh Late-Race Incident
Smith expressed his frustration with the crash and its impact on his race plans.
“It was a wild ride, no doubt,”
Smith told NBC Sports after the event.
“I had a decent restart going and I just get wrecked by the 42. He just drives through me and then I was sliding on the wall. I was just mad at that point from how our day was going and this just pissed me off even more because that’s what really hurt was just flipping down the track.”
He lamented how the accident ended what could have been a strong finish:
“It was violent, no doubt, but we had such a fast Speedy Cash Ford today. It’s just a bummer. Right before that caution came out, we were gonna have a top-10 day, racing up inside the top 10 a majority of the day and it’s a shame that it has to come to an end that way.”
Josh Berry, who finished runner-up the previous weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, also commented on the intensity of the late-race battles that led to the crash.
“It looked like Zane and the 42 had got together obviously and Zane was up on his side,”
Berry said.
“I just tried to go by on the bottom and the 42 spun down and clipped us in the right rear and we wrecked, so it’s just part of being back there. It’s an overtime restart and everybody has to make up for how bad they ran all day and try to pass everybody in one corner.”
Race Outcome and Playoff Implications
The crash affected the finishing order significantly, with Smith, Nemechek, and Berry placing 31st, 32nd, and 33rd respectively. Their drastic drop marks a setback in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12. The next race, set for October 5 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, will be critical as competitors seek to rebound following this chaotic Kansas outcome.
This incident underscores the tension and frantic competitiveness characteristic of NASCAR’s playoff stage, where aggressive moves and split-second decisions often decide both race results and championship hopes.
