NASCAR stars Zane Smith, Ty Gibbs reshare story in remembrance of Charlie Kirk who was assassinated

NASCAR drivers Zane Smith and Ty Gibbs remembered Charlie Kirk following the latter's death. Both drivers reshared an Instagram story that paid tribute to the conservative activist.

They did so by sharing a post on their Instagram stories. The photo was first posted by The Conservateur. It showed a picture of Charlie Kirk with his family and carried the words

“Rest in peace Charlie.”

Zane Smith's story on Instagram. Source: via Instagram, @zanesmith

Ty Gibbs story on Instagram. Source: Instagram, @tygibbs

Charlie Kirk was a well-known conservative political activist, author, and speaker. He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was just 18. The group grew into one of the biggest conservative student organizations in the country, active in high school and college campuses.

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old. Reports say about 3,000 people were present at the event. Witnesses said the shot came from a building 100 to 200 yards away. His private security rushed him to the hospital, but he did not survive.

Authorities quickly launched an investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that a suspect was in custody, though local police gave different accounts at first. Utah Governor Spencer Cox later said a “person of interest” had been detained.

CCTV footage showed the attacker wearing all black, and investigators believe the shot may have come from a rooftop. Kirk’s wife and two young children were on campus during the attack. They were not harmed but were left shaken by the tragedy.

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Zane Smith’s consistent 2025 season despite missing the victory lane

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, is 28th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 477 points after 28 races. His season has shown progress, but he is still looking for his first win at this level.

So far in 2025, Smith has collected three top-10 finishes and one pole position. He has yet to get a top-five finish. Across the season, he has led 15 laps and holds an average starting position of 19.1 with an average finish of 20.96. Four of his races ended in DNFs, though he has still completed most of the laps he started.

One of his biggest moments came when he got his first career pole at the Jack Links 500 earlier in the year. Ahead of his race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Zane Smith attended the Stifel Charity Classic in St. Louis.

The PGA Tour Champions event was held at Norwood Hills Country Club from September 5 to 7, 2025, with a purse of $2.1 million and a strong field of senior golfers. At WWT Raceway, Smith finished 9th in Stage One and 16th in Stage Two but dropped to 33rd at the checkered flag.