Zane Smith experienced a serious crash late in Sunday’s NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway after coming into contact with John Hunter Nemechek, marking the latest John Hunter Nemechek incident to generate controversy. The collision, which happened just before the white flag, caused Smith’s car to flip violently before stopping on the apron, sparking intense reactions from those involved.
Collision Leads to Nerve-Wracking Crash for Smith
During the final stage as the leaders approached the final lap, contact between Nemechek and Smith sent Smith’s vehicle into the wall in Turns 3 and 4. Smith’s car then flipped multiple times before landing on the apron. Smith later described the frightening experience and expressed his anger toward Nemechek for causing the wreck and ending what had been a promising race for him with Front Row Motorsports.
“It was a wild ride, no doubt,”
Zane Smith, Driver, told NBC Sports.
“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 pi–ed me off even more because that’s what really hurt was just flipping down the track.”
Smith also highlighted how close he had been to a strong result before the crash happened.
“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.”
— Zane Smith, Driver
Multi-Car Impact and Responses from the Paddock
The incident extended beyond Smith and Nemechek, as it resulted in additional chaos on the track. After colliding with Smith, Nemechek’s car spun down and clipped Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry. Berry offered his account of the aftermath as he tried to avoid the spinning cars.
“It looked like Zane and the 42 had got together obviously and Zane was up on his side,”
Josh Berry, Driver, 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.”
— Josh Berry, Driver
Smith Recovers but Race Hopes Dashed
Despite the severity of the crash, Smith was able to exit his car without assistance. He ultimately finished 31st at Kansas, just ahead of Nemechek, despite spending much of the race in the top 10. Smith’s rookie season with Front Row Motorsports has been marked by both strong runs and difficult setbacks, as shown by his four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 20.9 so far. The emotional fallout and consequence of this John Hunter Nemechek incident may continue to impact the relationships and strategies among drivers as the racing season progresses.
Zane Smith exited the vehicle under his own power after this incident late at @kansasspeedway. pic.twitter.com/vbF4OXvROl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 28, 2025
