Among the most significant incidents this season in the NASCAR Cup Series was the flip-out of Zane Smith as he pulled into the first overtime restart of the Hollywood Casino 400 of Kansas Speedway on September 28, 2025, in the No. 38 Ford Mustang.
There were sparks and smoke in the air, and debris as his car shot off on a frightening collision that stopped the race for a few minutes. Fortunately, Smith managed to walk away uninjured, but the crash was used to remind him that high-speed racing is very brutal, and you are always only seconds away from a possible accident.
The Crash Unfolds on Overtime Restart
The chaos struck on Lap 268 as the field charged into Turn 3. Running 15th and aiming for a top-10 finish with Front Row Motorsports, Zane Smith was squeezed by John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota. Nemechek drifted up the track during the restart and clipped Smith’s left-rear quarter panel.
Zane Smith walked away unhurt after the wild crash, Bob Pockrass reported. Smith’s car made contact with Nemechek, slid on its side along the backstretch wall, then flipped twice before landing on its wheels.
The race was stopped for about nine minutes as NASCAR’s safety team checked on Zane Smith and inspected the wall and fencing. While a gouge was left on the racing surface, the fence held firm. NASCAR will also review the car further with Front Row Motorsports.
Zane Smith exited the vehicle under his own power after this incident late at @kansasspeedway. pic.twitter.com/vbF4OXvROl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 28, 2025
From the grandstands, it was pure pandemonium. The No. 38 was showered in sparks as it scraped the wall on its side, before being launched into its violent flips.
“It was a wild ride, no doubt,” Zane Smith said afterward. “Before I knew it, I had a decent restart going, and I just got wrecked by [Nemechek]. He just drove 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, just flipping down the track. It was violent, no doubt.”
NASCAR’s Safety Advances Prove Crucial
Although that crash was nasty, Smith was able to get out on his own and clear at the infield care center. He is 26 and claims that NASCAR safety equipment, such as the hardened roll cage and the HANS system, saved him unscathed.
“It’s just a bummer,” Zane Smith said. “Right before that caution came out, we were going to 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 out there. I want to give a shout-out back to everyone at FRM for bringing another really good car, especially at a mile-and-a-half.”
While Zane Smith was lucky, others weren’t. The wreck triggered a chain reaction that collected Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry, both of whom were sidelined with heavy damage. Berry, frustrated after a strong runner-up performance at New Hampshire just a week earlier, called the restart frenzy “intense.”
Chaos Reshapes Zane Smith Playoff Picture
Zane Smith, Nemechek, and Berry were knocked out of the top 30, which dealt a big setback to their playoff access.
The red-flag halt gave the others time to get themselves together. By the time the race had restarted, Chase Elliott seized the opportunity, passing Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin and claiming his third of the year- three straight lifelines to his playoffs.
The last thing, Smith closed the day angry and disappointed, and thankful. He was able to walk away as the crash was brutal, but it indicates how much NASCAR safety has improved.
What would have ended his career winds up as another frustrating memory of the mess and trouble that accompany playoff racing.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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