When watching a NASCAR race, you’re almost guaranteed to see a crash. Nowadays, crashes are okay, because of the countless safety measures NASCAR has implemented over its 77 year history. One style of crash is mesmerizing, when a car decides it’s tired of being right-side up, a flip occurs. Some people even watch NASCAR for the crashes and flips. I don’t, however, they are cool to see once you know the drivers involved are okay. Flips are memorable incidents for many fans watching. I remember the first time I saw a NASCAR flip live on TV. However, not every flip is simple. There are a few types, and some are only half-flips. When a car goes over, fans will go crazy for quite some time.
“Blowovers” are styles of NASCAR flips where a car spins sideways, and air packs under the floor of the car, creating lift and pushing the one-and-a-half ton racecar in the air, and eventually upside down. Recent examples of this include Josh Berry’s 2024 Daytona flip, Ryan Preece’s 2023 Daytona Flip, and the most famous blowover, Elliott Sadler’s 2003 Talladega flip.
To combat “blowovers”, NASCAR has added quite a lot of flaps and ducts in and outside the car designed to redirect the air that would go under the car. Roof Flaps, Shark Fins, Hood Flaps, Diffuser Flaps, etc. While these are effective at stopping a flip, if cars are going 200+ MPH, they’re going to find a way to crash and flip.
Another style of NASCAR flip is when a car hits the wall and flips. Notable examples are Ryan Newman’s 2020 Daytona flip, Taylor Gray’s 2024 Daytona Flip, and Anthony Alfredo’s 2020 Kansas flip. The reason these kind of flips happen is because when a car hits the SAFER barrier, the wall will compact and then release. The energy is absorbed into the wall, but it is dispersed throughout the car, causing the car to jolt up, and sometimes over. Out of the types of flips, these ones are agreed by the drivers to hurt the most. Often, the driver’s side or passenger’s side of the car hits the wall square, and that causes the flip.
The final style of flip is rare, but was just seen a few races ago at Kansas. Zane Smith was “sandwiched” on the outside wall in Turn 3 and mounted it, his car 45 degrees perpendicular to the track. He slid down the banking on his side, and eventually tumbled over twice. This is the “sandwich flip”. I’ve only seen three instances of this, but there very well could be more. While they weren’t technical flips, before Zane Smith, Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne have had a “sandwich crash.” Truex Jr. in the Busch Series at Richmond back in 2005, and Kahne in the Nationwide Series at Bristol in 2010.
Flips are some of the most watched instances in NASCAR racing. They define a driver’s career in some cases. Ryan Preece has flipped twice at Daytona, and the third most searched result for his name is “ryan preece flip” on Google. If you flip, fans will remember. Overall, as the years go on, flips have happened more often. However, this will not be an issue as long as driver safety continues to be ever-changed and perfected.
Recent NASCAR Flips
2025 – Zane Smith (Kansas II), Ryan Preece (Daytona I)
2024 – Tyler Reddick (Las Vegas II), Corey LaJoie (2) (Talladega I, Michigan)
2023 – Ryan Preece (Daytona II)
2022 – Harrison Burton (Daytona I), Chris Buescher (Charlotte)
2021 – Joey Logano (Talladega I)
2020 – Ryan Newman (Daytona I)
2019 – Kyle Larson (Talladega I), Brendan Gaughan (Talladega II)
2018 – Jamie McMurray (Talladega I)
2017 – A.J. Allmendinger (Talladega I)
2016 – Chris Buescher (Talladega I), Matt Kenseth (Talladega I)
2015 – Austin Dillon (Daytona II)
