During the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, Carson Hocevar wrecks Zane Smith in a pivotal moment that ended Smith’s race on Lap 229. Smith, who is driving the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports this season, directed his anger at his spotter rather than Hocevar in the aftermath.
Smith’s Frustration Surfaces After Collision
The incident unfolded as Zane Smith was running in 23rd position, a testament to the persistent difficulty he faced in recent races. When Hocevar got loose, the ensuing wreck left Smith’s car out of contention, continuing a string of disappointing finishes for the rookie driver. Rather than blaming Hocevar for the contact, Smith sharply criticized his spotter for guidance during the build-up.
“Gotta quit telling me how to f*cking drive these things, dude. Every time I poke into the middle, we get f*cking wrecked,”
—Zane Smith, via Steven Taranto of CBS Sports.
Smith’s exasperation appeared rooted in a longer period of challenges. Though his results have been solid overall in his first year with Front Row Motorsports, closing out races has been a struggle. In fact, in the three events prior to Iowa, Smith lost nearly 50 combined positions in the final laps. The Iowa Corn 350 represented a crucial opportunity for Smith to turn the corner and finish strong, but the crash rendered those hopes impossible.
Smith Reflects on Ongoing Struggles
Speaking before the race, Smith acknowledged his efforts this season, while noting the difficulties of attracting attention without top-tier finishes. He emphasized the unpredictable nature of recent races that have gone off-track due to factors outside his control.
“We gotta look at the positives, and our positives are at least we’re running good,”
—Zane Smith, via Dustin Long of NBC Sports.
“We’ve been pretty strong all year, just hard to get talked about when you run 11th through 15th a lot of the race and sneak your way into top 10. It’s tough, but the past few weeks, nothing has been in our control. Last week was for sure going to be top-10, top-five day and unfortunately, it was taken from us.”
—Zane Smith, via Dustin Long of NBC Sports.
Smith cited other setbacks, referencing being wrecked in competitive positions at tracks like Dover, which similarly ended promising runs.
“Same thing at Dover, we were in such a good position. We were 12th or 13th, I was the first one on four tires, a good restart for us the one before that, and I get right hooked at Dover and our day is ruined. It’s been unfortunate, but like I said, the positive for us is at least we’re running good, and we have speed when it happens.”
—Zane Smith, via Dustin Long of NBC Sports.
What the Incident Means for Smith’s Season
This event marks another setback for Zane Smith despite an otherwise solid start in his rookie year. The sequence with Carson Hocevar in Iowa continues a streak of challenging finishes that have tested Smith’s patience and optimism. With ongoing issues attributed both to on-track incidents and team communication, Smith and the Front Row Motorsports crew will need to regroup and look for consistency in upcoming races. Smith’s determination to focus on positives, even as frustrations rise, may shape the approach for the rest of the season. The Iowa Speedway wreck underscores the pressures drivers face and how critical communication and decision-making remain throughout a long NASCAR season.
