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Zane Smith rides along wall sideways, flipping upside down in strange crash

Zane Smith NASCAR John Hunter Nemechek

On an overtime restart, Zane Smith was battling just outside the top ten when a bizarre wreck unfolded. The leaders were moments away from taking the white flag when the incident occurred. 

After contact from John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Smith and the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota of Nemechek slammed the outside wall. While Nemechek spun back down the track, collecting both Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry, Smith's wreck took an unusual turn for the worse.

His car climbed up the wall, riding along the SAFER Barrier on its side before flipping multiple times. It landed on its wheels, but the huge crashed forced the race to be red-flagged. He climbed from the car and was able to walk away without issue. 

Safety workers also checked the outside wall, but it needed no repairs. Smith's airborne crash was the first time a Cup car went upside since Ryan Preece in the 2025 Daytona 500, and the ninth Cup car to go upside down during the Next Gen era.

“It was a wild ride, no doubt," said Smith after being released from the infield care center. "I had a decent restart going and I just get wrecked by the 42 [Nemechek]. 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. 

"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 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. Hopefully, five more. Hopefully we bring some more good ones.”

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images)

Photos from Kansas - Race

Race winner Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Nascar fan

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, Vice Chairman, Hendrick Motorsports

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Alan Gustafson, Crew chief, Hendrick Motorsports

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Alan Gustafson, Crew chief, Hendrick Motorsports

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, Vice Chairman, Hendrick Motorsports

Kansas - Sunday, in photos
NASCAR Cup
58
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