JR Motorsports’s Sammy Smith driver had a dramatic collision with Joe Gibbs Racing Taylor Racing on Saturday in the final round of the NXS race in Martinsville. Both riders were seen a fierce conversation after the event ended before going to the Care Center. Smith later shared his position about the incident and said that he only did what he thought Gray would do with him in the same situation.
Both Sammy Smith and Taylor Gray were in the top 10 in the first two stages, and in the last few rounds of the race, they found themselves in the battle to win the leading position. Notably, they had some small collisions in the race. Smith took the lead in the 248 round by pushing the JGR 54 car to the track before a warning at the end of the race to activate the time of injury time.
During the restarting process, Smith led, Gray right behind him. When they entered Turn 1, Gray made a move inside and crashed into Smith’s car, pushed him to the track. This allows Gray to lead. However, in the final corner of the last round, Smith made an aggressive move in Turn 3. He drove deep and hit the back of Gray’s car, causing him to turn around. The collision has caused a lot of vehicles in the starting line/target line.
Talking about the incident after being released from the care center, Smith told Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports:
“You know, I am not very proud of that, about what I did. I mean, just … he did not respect me, and he flipped me under the red flag, wriggling into my car door. I moved him into (turn) 1, then he still led twice to restart that, and go on the straight line behind, I think what he will do in this situation. Flip me, and that right there was the line for me to make the final decision I made. “
Talking about the harsh discussion that the two riders had after the race, Smith added:
“He said he wanted to plunge into it, I mean, we can rush into it if he wants, but I think, in the end, it may be more in the future, and I’m fine with that.”
Due to the accident, Sammy Smith finishes in 10th, while Gray, who has a position to win, ended in 29th place.
Taylor Gray, who is involved in the Nascar Xfinity Series season, all of his first time, led 87 best rounds in his career before the last round accident that ruined his chances of victory. After the race, he explained (through Nascar.com) that his move to perform with Sammy Smith in the last round was fair because it was exactly what Smith did to win the leading position before the warning (in the 248 round).
“So, like all the interactions in Turn 1, where he initially moved me to the track and he won the leading position from me, and then I did the same thing with him. Think that it was fair, right?” Gray argued.
However, he admitted that such incidents were more likely to occur on a narrow track like MartinSville. He added:
“We know we’re going to the end of the race. I was a bit uncomfortable when he hit me for the first time, just because I felt like I didn’t cause any scratches for him for the whole year.
Sammy Smith and Taylor Gray will continue the battle on their tracks on Saturday, April 5, in Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway.
