DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The crew of the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado stood with smiles on their faces and high fives being exchanged next to their single-car trailer — the only single-car trailer in the entire NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series field.
The only one who wasn’t smiling was the team’s driver: Norm Benning.
The severely underfunded team had just completed the full 100 laps at Daytona International Speedway on Friday (Feb. 14) night and even finished 16th. It was the highest result for the group since 2018, and all of them were more than satisfied with the result.
But not Benning. He felt he could’ve gotten more.
“I could’ve won!” Benning told Frontstretch. “I’m not happy at all. I was running half throttle in 15th. They were three-wide. Absolutely nowhere to go. I could have won with that truck. I’m not happy at all.”
The 73-year-old started on a great note. Benning qualified for the event in 22nd position, which was the highest he’s started a Truck race since 2017.
It had likely been thanks to his newly purchased truck. It was a four-year-old vehicle that had been purchased from almost-race-winning team Henderson Motorsports in 2023.
And the qualifying result put him in a great mood.
“This is what I dream of all the time,” Benning told Frontstretch after qualifying. “I’m just actually surprised. I must have must have got a hell of a gust of wind or something. I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t have the money, I’m here.
“I’m just hoping to be there at the end here.”
There at the end he was. Benning ran 20th at the white flag when the bottom fell out in front of him. Trucks were sent scattered across the infield grass on the backstretch in the view of the racing veteran’s windshield. It forced him to brake, and it killed all of his momentum. NASCAR threw out the yellow flag and ended the race.
Benning was originally scored 17th before original winner Parker Kligerman was disqualified during post-race inspection. Afterward, Benning was promoted to 16th position in the final results.
Parker Kligerman wins the Truck Series race at Daytona! pic.twitter.com/mUUYToAySi
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2025
“They went three wide at the end there, and I just had nowhere to go,” Benning said. “So, I just sat there, and then they wrecked. I’m not happy, but the truck’s able to roll in the trailer.”
Benning was upset that he wasn’t able to grab more positions at the end of the event. He felt he had a strong enough truck to compete and win.
“Knowing you have a truck that can compete for the win and not get the chance is what I’m upset about,” Benning continued. “I had to drive down on the yellow line to pass them, and you get penalized for that, but I ran right up on them and then I had to ride a brake.
“If it would have been Talladega, I’d have made a fourth lane, and I’d have passed everybody. That’s how fast that truck was. … I mean I don’t know if he may have looked at the stats, but I’m sure I probably had the fastest lap in the race.”
The thing is, he was almost right.
Benning ran a 47.490-second lap time during the race, and for the majority of it, it was among the fastest lap times of the whole field. By the end, it would be scored as the ninth-fastest of the night.
Even more impressive, Benning’s result made NASCAR history, as the 73-year-old was later discovered to be the oldest driver to finish on the lead lap in NASCAR history.
Also have to mention, Norm Benning finished 17th at 73, he becomes the oldest lead lap finisher in NASCAR history.
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) February 15, 2025
Not bad for a team with a single-car trailer.
Dalton Hopkins began writing for Frontstretch in April 2021. Currently, he is the lead writer for the weekly Thinkin' Out Loudcolumn, co-host of the Happy Hour podcast, and one of our lead reporters. Beforehand, he wrote for IMSA shortly after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019. Simultaneously, he also serves as a Captain in the US Army.
Follow Dalton on Twitter @PitLaneCPT
“I could’ve won!” Benning told Frontstretch. “I’m not happy at all. I was running half throttle in 15th. They were three-wide. Absolutely nowhere to go. I could have won with that truck. I’m not happy at all.”
Maybe it’s not true when drivers say it was “fun” in the traffic jam. Will NA$CAR fine him for speaking the truth?
I love that he is still using an old fire suit with Gander as the Truck sponsor. A true grinder.
Someone give this guy a chance before it’s to late 😫