NASCAR is infamous for being an adrenaline-driven competition and for good reason. The intense racing that goes on the track is bound to raise the spirits of drivers as well as fans.
Oftentimes, though, along with the rising tension, the tempers of NASCAR drivers see sudden spikes as well. However, these outbursts are mostly momentary, and the drivers seldom hold them against their contemporaries.
Once the moment is gone, most racers resolve their differences with their fellow drivers and move on. Though the radios of the drivers’ cars capture it all and perfectly display the nature of the sport.
After the chaos that ensued between Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman, and Zane Smith in Kansas, the trio shared several heated moments. Moreover, Smith even blasted Bowman for his actions late in the race.
Zane Smith’s Kansas Outing
Smith started his day in Kansas in the 18th spot. However, some last-minute adjustments to his No. 38 Ford sent him to the back lines.
The Front Row Motorsports wasted no time taking passes and moved steadily to the front. While he could not catch up with the lap leaders early on, he finished 10th at the end of Stage 1 and bagged a championship point.
Then, on lap 95, came the incident with Hamlin and Bowman. As all three of them competed for the seventh spot, they ran abreast with Bowman on the inside.
The triple-wide arrangement ultimately led to Bowman succumbing to the pushing and making slight contact with the wall. Although the damage was far from heavy, it shaved the HMS driver’s speed.
It didn’t stop there, though. While taking a pass at Bowman, Hamlin waved at him to mock him. Hamlin’s gesture angered the No. 48 driver, who went on a rant on his radio.
All three cars went their separate ways without taking any significant damage. At the end of Stage 2, Bowman had the sixth spot, Hamlin was in eighth, and Smith finished in the ninth position.
With Hamlin retiring on the 197th lap after a technical failure in his No. 11 Toyota, it seemed like the incident between the trio was long forgotten. However, with less than 100 laps to go, Bowman tried to ignite chaos with Smith.
Bowman was ahead of Smith and weaved aggressively, which indicated an intentional wrecking with the No. 38 driver. Speaking to his spotter on the radio, Smith said:
“I’m over these motherf****rs flipping me off and s**t.”
His spotter then spoke to Bowman’s crew and got back to him, saying, “Talked to his spotter, he’s mad at the 11.”
Smith, who was still upset over the HMS driver’s actions, did not hold back in his response.
“Well, this one says 38, not 11, so don’t flip me off, little b***h.”
In the end, Bowman finished in the fifth spot while Smith settled for the 16th position with 24 points.