The final NASCAR Cup Series practice session of the 2026 season ended with an incident nobody saw coming.
Tyler Reddick crashed into Zane Smith as drivers were heading toward pit road at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, Nov. 6, bringing an unexpected and costly-looking conclusion to the final practice before Sunday’s championship race.
The collision happened as cars were slowing to leave the track. Reddick approached pit road at a considerably higher speed than Smith, striking the back of Smith’s car and sending his own No. 45 Toyota spinning.
NASCAR shared footage of the unusual incident on social media, showing smoke rising from the collision as other drivers continued toward pit road.
Tyler Reddick Explains Strange Homestead Practice Crash
According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Reddick was attempting to enter pit road at pit-road speed when he encountered other drivers slowing to head toward the garage.
The difference in speed left little time to react.
Reddick later acknowledged that he was still trying to piece together exactly what happened.
“Everything happened so fast, I only gathered that I crashed,” Reddick said, according to Tim Moore.
Reddick also indicated that he believed Smith was entering the garage area when the collision occurred.
The incident was particularly frustrating for Reddick, who had been pleased with his car’s performance throughout the session. He said he felt he had the best car he’d ever brought to Homestead before the crash.
That made the timing especially unfortunate.
With Friday’s session representing the final Cup Series practice of the year, Reddick’s team now faces the task of assessing the damage before the championship weekend continues.
The extent of the damage and whether repairs will affect Reddick’s plans for the remainder of the weekend were not immediately confirmed.
NASCAR Championship Weekend Continues at Homestead
The crash added an unexpected twist to a practice session that otherwise offered teams their final opportunity to evaluate their cars before qualifying.
Austin Cindric recorded the fastest five-lap average, while Ryan Blaney led the 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-lap averages, although fewer drivers completed the longest runs.
Those numbers offered an early indication of which teams might have competitive long-run speed on Homestead’s demanding 1.5-mile oval.
For Reddick, however, the immediate concern shifted from speed to damage.
Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, ahead of Sunday’s championship race at 3 p.m. ET.
What should have been a routine trip back to the garage instead left two drivers involved in one of the weekend’s strangest incidents, just as the final practice session came to a close.
Tyler Reddick Crashes Into Zane Smith in Bizarre End-of-Practice Incident at Homestead