WATCH: Zane Smith runs over crew member during NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega
When Zane Smith's No. 38 Love's truck came towards the pits during the NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, the driver appeared to lose control of his car and spin out.
The back of his car smacked the pit crew member - the tire carrier, Charles Plank, who was holding his tires, as he turned toward his pit box. Plank hit the back of the car and landed on his feet.
WATCH: Zane Smith runs over crew member during NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega
The collision looked very dangerous but Plank was able to keep upright and continue working. He was afterwards interviewed on FS1 and detailed the incident from his point of view.
“I thought I could clear it, and I didn’t. I’m glad I made it on the deck lid instead of getting underneath it. So, we’re ready for the next stop. … I’m great to go,” Plank said.
The team did confirm that Plank was not harmed by the contact. Zane Smith even commented that his 'heart sank' when the contact happened.
Zane Smith drops in the Truck series standings following the race at Talladega
Everything seemed to go wrong for Zane Smith during the Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega.
With a 32nd-place result in Love's RV Stop 250 on a day when many playoff drivers encountered difficulty, Smith's title defence suffered a serious setback. A particularly extreme incident involved Smith, whose truck slid into the team's tire carrier as it entered his pit stall during the Stage 1 stop.
Although the contact sent Plank, the tire carrier, flying, he landed on his feet and carried on with the pit duties. Fortunately, he was not injured. But Smith's race just went from bad to worse.
When Zane Smith rejoined the race, he was unable to maintain speed because his truck couldn't stay in gear. He went out of the pits with only 21 laps of the race remaining.
Smith had been competing in the Truck Series playoffs and trying to win a second straight championship when he dropped off the front row. Smith is currently below the playoff cut line and in danger of being eliminated due to the long repairs.