Norm Benning OK after fiery exit from Talladega race
LINCOLN, Ala. — Norm Benning is okay after a fiery engine failure ended his day in the closing laps of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega.
Benning had high hopes, racing a truck from Henderson Motorsports and hoping for a repeat of the speed he showed at Daytona in February. He finished inside the top 20 in the race but believed he had more in the tank.
The weekend didn’t start out the best — qualifying 30th — but the race was going okay. Then, mechanical issues struck and put Benning multiple laps down when re-entered the race from behind the wall.
Benning stuck it out and had a quiet race going until lap 65. Entering turn one, smoke emerged from his truck and eventually turned into a blaze that burnt the back end of his truck and forced Benning to get out of the smoke-filled cockpit.
Benning jumped out of the truck, to the attention of safety workers who treated him for smoke inhalation. He was eventually treated and released from the infield care center.
Benning reportedly said he will race again at Martinsville. However, before racing at Daytona again in February next year, he’ll need about $75,000 to replace the engine.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com