Norm Benning seeks $75000 in funding for new engine to compete at Daytona

Norm Benning needs $75,000 to replace his blown engine after a fiery crash ended his race at Talladega. NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass shared a post on X, interviewing Benning.

The video Pockrass posted shows Norm Benning speaking after the race, explaining that he was running well before the fire. He said,

"What can I say, I’m physically able to do it, and I was running really good. And here we are! So I hope somebody comes along that will help us replace this engine."

When asked how much the engine would cost, Benning replied,

“Seventy-five thousand.”

The incident happened in the final laps at Talladega. Smoke started coming from Benning’s truck as he entered Turn 1, then flames broke out from the back. He brought the truck to a stop on the backstretch and escaped on his own. Safety crews treated him for smoke inhalation, but he was later released from the infield care center.

According to The Racing Experts, Benning was driving a Henderson Motorsports truck and had been hoping to repeat his earlier success from Daytona. He had a solid run and finished inside the top 20 before the engine failure cut his race short.

Despite the fire, the report said Norm Benning plans to race at Martinsville before focusing on Daytona. At 73, Benning has no plans to slow down. After the crash, he told Frontstretch that he’d never been in an explosion like that.

“I had the net down and the belts loose before I got stopped and just got out of there as quick as I could,” he said.

His crew chief, Dan Killius, said it was one of the worst feelings he’d had. He compared it to Jordan Anderson’s fire at Talladega in 2022.

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“I could’ve won!”: Norm Benning frustrated he didn’t finish higher at Daytona

Before the Talladega fire, Norm Benning had one of his best runs in years at Daytona. He finished 16th in the Truck Series race in February, his best result since 2018. But instead of celebrating, he was frustrated.

“I could’ve won!” Benning told Frontstretch after the race.

His small team, running from a single-car trailer, was happy with the finish. For them, completing all 100 laps was a big deal. But Norm Benning believed he had a truck fast enough to win. He said he was running at half throttle in 15th place because the field went three-wide, leaving him no room to move forward.

Benning’s weekend had started well. He qualified 22nd, his best start since 2017, in a four-year-old truck he bought from Henderson Motorsports in 2023.

“This is what I dream of all the time,” he said. “I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t have the money, I’m here.”

During the final laps, Benning was in 20th place when a wreck happened ahead of him. He slowed down to avoid it, which cost him his momentum. NASCAR threw the yellow flag, ending the race. He was first scored 17th but later moved up to 16th after Parker Kligerman was disqualified.

The 73-year-old's 47.490-second lap was one of the fastest of the night. NASCAR Insights later confirmed that Benning became the oldest driver to ever finish on the lead lap in NASCAR history at 73 years old.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua