CONCORD, N.C. — John Hunter Nemechek says his mistake was “unacceptable” in the incident with Zane Smith that sent Smith’s car riding along the outside wall on two wheels before tumbling down the track last weekend at Kansas Speedway.
“Just made a mistake on my part,” Nemechek told reporters Wednesday at the NASCAR Productions facility. “I owned up to it.
“Coming off of Turn 2, I was three-wide top. Had a run down the back straightaway. I was locked onto Zane down the back straightaway, pushing him. Ty (Gibbs) gave me a shot from behind, helping push the line. When I got that shot, it turned me a little bit sideways and when I kind of moved the steering wheel to correct, I ended up between Zane and Todd (Gilliland) getting into Turn 3 and thought they were going to run completely different lines with (Chris Buescher) in front of Zane.
“The entry speed that (Zane) had, I thought he was going to run the very top. So I was going to go try run three-wide middle and ultimately just didn’t have enough room between Zane’s left rear quarter panel and my right front getting into the corner there. I got tight and then kind of got sucked into his left rear quarter and then we’re along for the ride after that.
“Just a mistake on my part. It’s unacceptable and definitely have to learn from and not let that happen again.”
After the contact with Smith sent Smith’s car riding along the wall, Nemechek’s car hit the rear of Gibbs’ car and then bounced off Josh Berry’s car and went back up the track into the wall.
It wasn’t until after he left the infield care center that Nemechek saw a replay of the incident and what happened to Smith’s car.
“It was kind of crazy that it happened,” Nemechek said of Smith’s car on the wall. “I haven’t seen that in a long time.”
As for why the contact put Smith’s car against the wall that way, Nemechek said he wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know if just the angle of the corner entry there and the wall shape and things of that sort kind (caused the car to climb) the fence with the right side or what it was.”
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” that series officials examined Smith’s car after the race and also when it arrived back at the shop this week. He also said that series officials will examine the SAFER barrier wall at Kansas as part of their “due diligence.”
Smith was not happy with Nemechek about the incident.
“I had a decent restart going and I just get wrecked by (Nemechek),” Smith said after exiting the infield care center last weekend. “He just drives through me and then I was sliding on the wall.”
Nemechek acknowledges that he needs to race Smith differently after this.
“I definitely owe him a couple of breaks,” Nemechek said. “Just being aware of my surrounds and things of that sort. It’s on me. It’s just a mistake that I made and can’t be making mistakes like that.”
