The introduction of NASCAR’s Next Gen car in 2022 began a new era of racing for the sport. Like any race car, it has experienced its share of flips. Here is a complete list of every flip in Next Gen car history.
The first flip in Next Gen history occurred in the car’s first points-paying race, the 2022 Daytona 500. Rookie second-generation driver Harrison Burton blew over in a multi-car accident. Similar crashes have occurred since, mostly at superspeedways.
The second flip in Next Gen history was perhaps its first viral flip. Christ Buescher found himself collected in what looked to be a typical intermediate track crash. However, as Buescher slid through the infield turf of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the No. 17 hooked turf and barreled over multiple times.
The Buescher flip was quickly overshadowed over a year later when Ryan Preece suffered a scary flip at Daytona. Preece showed up at Darlington the next weekend with bruised eyes from the violent crash. Daytona would later pave over the grass that caused the flip.
After a tame 2023, NASCAR’s next flip occurred at Talladega when Spire Motorsports Corey LaJoie found himself buried in a crash resulting from a defensive block from Micahel McDowell. LaJoie was pinched between two cars, turned on his side, and slid down the wall across the finish line.
LaJoie’s second flip was a single-car incident in which he lost control of his No. 7 and blew over on the back stretch of Michigan International Speedway. This flip raised alarms amongst fans who were concerned with the ease with which Ljaoie blew over on the backstretch.
Josh Berry flipped on Daytona’s backstretch shortly after LaJoie. After getting turned from the lead, Berry and Austin Cindric slid toward the inside wall. Cindric, with his air blocked by Berry, lifted a little. However, Berry had a full-on flip, going head-on into the wall.
This flip proved that even with the backstretch grass gone, cars will still flip when provoked. NASCAR made changes to the superspeedway package for Talladega during the playoffs.
Tyler Reddick had an infield-assisted flip at Las Vegas during the NASCAR Playoffs. Reddick, sliding through the infield while his fellow crash-ees, clipped the Legends oval asphalt with minimal air. Reddick clipped it perfectly and barreled over.
Ryan Preece’s poor luck continued immediately in 2025 when he found himself pinched between two cars and having what some deemed an “IndyCar Flip.” Essentially, Preece’s car grabbed the air and barreled into the wall.
In one of the most likely flips of the 2025 season, Zane Smith was pushed into the wall by John Hunter Nemechek until his right side tires popped up on the wall. Smith then rode the outside wall for some time, sliding to the inside of the track and flipping twice, and landing on all four tires. Smith was released from the infield care center.
This list will be updated throughout the continued use of NASCAR’s Current Next Gen Car.
