61-year-old NASCAR driver flips the bird

James Buescher, driving the #31 car, and Norm Benning, driving the #57 car, practice for the inaugural Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway. (Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

ROSSBURG, Ohio — Let’s say you’re 61-year-old Norm Benning, the ultimate NASCAR underdog, and you just qualified for the biggest Camping World Truck Series race of the year.

What would you do?

Flip the bird at a young driver who just tried to rough you up, that’s what.

As the Speed cameras zoomed in Wednesday night and replayed the gesture in slow motion, Benning dropped his window net and waved his middle finger at Clay Greenfield, who he battled at the end of a last-chance qualifying race to make the 30-truck field for the Mudsummer Classic – the first NASCAR dirt race in 43 years.

Benning and Greenfield had slammed into one another while racing for the 30th and final starting position, and Benning’s truck got fairly roughed up. Clearly, he didn’t appreciate it – and shared his feelings that Greenfield was No. 1.

Speed had shown the five heat races on a delay. However, the last-chance race and the 150-lap main event were broadcast live.