NASCAR officials report issue with track at Kansas after wild Zane Smith flip, wreck

Track officials reported a gouge into the surface of Kansas Speedway following the incident with Zane Smith during the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs race on Sunday. John Hunter Nemechek ran Smith into the wall, which led to Smith’s car going sideways before flipping.

The incident happened during overtime as Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell were battling for battling for the lead. On Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, said, “They’re saying there’s a big gouge in the track, a couple inches right before the Ally sign in the center in (turns) three and four, up top.”

Wallace jokingly responded, “It’s unsafe, call it. Done.” Wallace said this because if NASCAR were to call it, he would have won the race and advanced to the next round of the playoffs. When the race was all said and done, Wallace finished fifth after a wild overtime finish.

But the most important thing when it comes to the race was Smith being okay after the wreck. Smith spoke to NBC Sports about the incident and did not hold back his feelings.

Zane Smith talks about the wreck at the NASCAR Kansas race

“It was a wild ride, no doubt,” Smith 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 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 that way.”

Chase Elliott won the race, and with him being one of the 12 drivers still in the playoffs, he has qualified for the Round of 8 with Ryan Blaney. Denny Hamlin finished second, and the rest of the top five includes Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Wallace.