Remember when NASCAR’s Gen 7 car was held as a leap forward in driver safety? It was introduced with promises of enhanced crash protection, as it featured energy-absorbing foam bumpers. However, recent incidents have reignited debates about the car’s safety and efficacy. Following a series of crashes, including one involving Ryan Preece’s Daytona 2023 race, NASCAR supposedly implemented additional safety measures. Yet, even this afternoon at Kansas Speedway, the car is put under scrutiny after one of the most horrifying crashes…

It is no secret that Zane Smith has found success at Kansas Speedway and looks like the favorite. He has scored one win, five top fives, and eight top tens at the track in the Truck Series. In the Cup Series, he grabbed a 10th-place finish last year and a 16th this past May. Coming into this race, Smith had his sights on climbing further up the leaderboard. However, this ambition came to a screeching halt.

Chaos erupted in overtime at the Hollywood Casino 400 when the 26-year-old went for the wildest ride of the night, flipping his car after bouncing off the wall in Turns 3 and 4. It all unfolded on Lap 267 when John Hunter Nemechek squeezed into the outside wall on the opening lap of a two-lap shootout.

Trapped between sheet metal and concrete, Smith’s front was lifted skyward, his car skated on its side like a hockey puck, then dramatically tumbled onto the track before grinding to a halt. This wreck threw the red flag, freezing the field on lap 269 of what was supposed to be a 267-lap race, while crews scrambled to clean debris and patch up the battered wall.

As the safety crew rushed to the No. 38 car, bigger problems with the track were revealed. According to the NASCAR officials’ scanner channel, there was a  2-inch gouge in the racetrack around the Ally signage on the wall. Officials noted that the wall was in good shape after the No. 38 rode on it. The wall repair crew acknowledged the severity of the crash; however, they also mentioned that they will not do anything about the gouge that is in the track.

Moreover, even drivers and spotters didn’t hold back in pointing out just how dangerous the aftermath looked. Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, informed the No. 23 driver about the gouge on the track that was tucked in the center of turns 3 and 4. And Wallace was even more planned in his assessment, declaring, “It’s unsafe, call it. Done.”

Zane Smith had a modest start to the Hollywood Casino 400. Starting 28th in his Front Row Motorsports, he zoomed past the field and managed to finish P9 by the end of stage one; however, his momentum faltered by the end of stage two as he logged in a P16. However, this horrifying incident ended Smith’s day as he saw himself finish 31st.

At the time of the stoppage, Bubba Wallace was dueling Christopher Bell for the lead when Denny Hamlin, who once looked untouchable, had been shuffled back by a sluggish pit stop just before Carson Hocevar’s spin flipped the race on its head. The Kansas afternoon saw Chase Elliott take the win to lock himself safely into the Round of 8, but the NASCAR community isn’t letting Zane Smith’s violent flip slide.

NASCAR community slams the Gen-7 car amid safety troubles

The fans didn’t waste time in immediately placing the blame on the Next Gen car, a topic that has long troubled drivers and fans alike. Fans lit up social media the moment Zane Smith’s car went airborne, and their takes ranged from tongue-in-cheek humor to genuine concern. One viewer summed it up perfectly: “That was some Cars 3 stuff directed by Michael Bay,” capturing the blockbuster level of chaos of the wreck.

For those unaware, Cars 3 is a 2017 American animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, where Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he’s still the best race car in the world. Michael Bay, on the other hand, is best known for directing the Transformers series.

But coming back to Smith, another fan admitted their heart sank in real time, writing, “I was like, ‘no way, this better not be a dumb debris caution’ camera pans and Zane Smith is riding the wall 😭.” The crash was shocking enough to make even the most seasoned fans double-take. But beyond the memes, the mood quickly shifted to worry and frustration. Comments like “Hoping Zane’s okay 🙏🏻” showed how shaken people were after seeing the violent tumble.

Meanwhile, others turned their attention to NASCAR car design, with one fan venting, “This Cup car is crap. Has been for 4 years. More flips and injuries with this supposed “safer” car. The Gen 7 cars were better for racing, watching races and driver safety. Big fail for @nascar on this car design.” It was the perfect snapshot of today’s NASCAR fandom, equal parts humor, heart, and hard-hitting criticism.