During a dramatic conclusion to the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, Zane Smith was involved in a violent crash that left fans and officials shaken on September 28, 2025. With the Zane Smith Kansas crash becoming the talking point of the race, Smith faced a harrowing incident, but ultimately emerged unharmed, igniting a wave of concern and debate across the NASCAR community.
Shocking Moment Halts Race at Kansas Speedway
The crowd at Kansas Speedway reacted with alarm as the final laps of the race unfolded with high tension. While the main focus was on Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell battling for the lead during NASCAR’s first Green-White-Checkers finish, the back of the field delivered its own intense drama. The red flag was displayed after Zane Smith’s No. 38 SpeedyCash.com Ford Mustang was launched into a series of frightening flips along Turns 3 and 4, following contact that sent his car up the wall and onto its side.
Smith’s incident started when John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Legacy Motor Club, collided with him during the chaos of a two-lap overtime restart. Carson Hocevar had triggered the restart by spinning out, and an aggressive move from Nemechek ensued, which resulted in Smith’s Mustang climbing the SAFER barrier and flipping multiple times. The crash was particularly chilling, coming in the final moments just before the white flag, and ultimately left Smith with a 31st-place finish after he was forced to retire early from the race.
Fortunately, Smith emerged from the infield care center seemingly uninjured, although the crash marked one of the most significant airborne incidents in a Next-Gen car since Ryan Preece’s wreck at the Daytona 500 earlier in the season. Safety officials responded swiftly, checking both Smith and the state of the barrier, but found no repairs necessary, allowing the race to resume after a nine-minute delay.
Smith Reflects on Crash and Expresses Frustration
Zane Smith reflected on the shocking incident with a mix of disbelief and frustration. In the aftermath, he commented,
Yeah, I mean, violent, no doubt. Just crazy restarts at Kansas, and man, I just got wrecked. They just drove right through my left rear so hard, it kicked me up onto the wall. And then yeah, just started flipping down the track. So yeah, violent, no doubt, but a really fast SpeedyCash Ford. Just a bummer had to end this way.
—Zane Smith, Driver
Pressed about whether he had ever faced such a situation, Smith admitted,
No, never flipped a stock car, so add that to the resume.
—Zane Smith, Driver
Smith’s race had looked promising before disaster struck. Starting in 28th, he carved his way through the field and claimed ninth at the end of Stage 1. By the race’s conclusion, however, he found himself swept up in one of the most violent incidents of the season, an experience that visibly rattled him. Cameras showed the driver, just 26 years old, climbing from his battered Ford after safety officials arrived on the scene. Despite the harrowing flips, Smith managed to exit the car under his own power.
Smith did not hold back as he described the pivotal moments of the accident, saying,
I had a decent restart going and I just get wrecked by the 42 [Nemechek]. I mean, he drives through me. I was sliding on the wall, and I was just mad at that point, and this just pissed me off even more. That’s what really hurt — just flipping down the track.
—Zane Smith, Driver
This grueling DNF marked Smith’s fifth of the season, dampening his campaign and placing him 27th in the driver standings, with only a single top-five finish achieved so far. For Smith, the performance at Kansas was a chance to prove himself and claw back momentum, but the crash was a demoralizing blow on a night marked by high speeds, tense restarts, and mounting pressure on all drivers involved.
Wider Fallout: Nemechek’s Difficult Day and Collateral Damage
The aftermath was not limited to Smith and Nemechek alone, as the collision triggered problems for several competitors. As Nemechek came down the track in the frenzied moments after the initial contact with Smith, both Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry became involved, with their cars suffering damage as a result of the chain reaction. Gibbs managed to escape with minimal impact, only glancing the barrier in his No. 54 Toyota Camry, but Berry and Nemechek found their afternoons cut short after being forced into the outside wall.
The incident put a dark cloud over Nemechek’s own season; this was his second crash in as many weeks, following trouble at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Both Front Row Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club, as well as the involved drivers, approached the critical closing stages of the season now facing increased scrutiny and pressure to finish races cleanly. The consequences of another high-profile mistake or DNF could prove disastrous for Nemechek, currently fighting to maintain relevance as the season heads toward its climactic finales.
The intensity that marked Zane Smith’s Kansas crash and the resulting shake-up within the driver ranks has also put a spotlight on the work of safety officials, the resilience of the SAFER barriers, and the ever-present risks of motorsport. For Smith, the experience stands as a testament to driver safety advancements and the strength required to rebound from such dramatic events. NASCAR’s close-knit fan base, ever attentive to these high-stakes narratives, will be watching closely as both Smith and Nemechek prepare for the Charlotte Roval and the Bank of America Roval 400, where past tensions and recent upsets could shape the next chapter in a season defined by uncertainty.
With only five races left in the year, the psychological effects and competitive implications of this crash may influence how Smith and his competitors approach upcoming contests. As supporters of Smith, Nemechek, and the broader NASCAR community process the events at Kansas Speedway, the Zane Smith Kansas crash will remain a major reference point as drivers aim to finish the year on a strong note while leaving the season’s most violent wreck firmly in the rearview mirror.
Zane Smith exited the vehicle under his own power after this incident late at @kansasspeedway. pic.twitter.com/vbF4OXvROl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 28, 2025
