The veteran racer would be the second oldest starter in the history of the Daytona 500
Five years removed from his last NASCAR national touring start and at 65-years-old, veteran racer Mike Wallace is going to attempt to make the Daytona 500 next month in the Motorsports Business Management No. 66.
In fact, Wallace hasn't made a Cup Series start since 2015, meaning this will be his first time behind the wheel of the NextGen car as well. Wallace has 809 national touring starts with four Xfinity Series wins and five Truck Series wins.
"I am very excited to be teamed up with Carl Long and the complete MBM Motorsports team, along with Doug Yates' support, for a return trip to the Daytona 500 after being away for a few years," said Wallace.
"I just can't wait to work with Carl again in the first laps of practice at the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway. I say it that way out of the enormous honor and respect I have for Daytona, along with all the pride and prestige it brings to myself and my team as a winner here. Fortunately, I did win the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona, so my name is etched in the history books, along with my Xfinity Series and ARCA wins at the Speedway."
At the same time, Wallace is getting this opportunity after a hugely challenging 2024 as well.
"2024 was a devastating year for me with the loss of Carla, my wife of 44 years, who passed away in January from a battle with cancer," Wallace added. "2025 brings fresh excitement, starting with this Daytona 500 announcement. They say you have to be in it to win it, and we are rolling into Daytona with the chance to both be a part of and then race to win the Daytona 500."
This happened because MBM posted on Facebook last month that it intended to field a car for Daytona. Wallace shot his shot.
"I watched Mike have a lot of success at superspeedways. I brought him into the JGL Racing Xfinity Series team I helped to build, where we worked together as teammates. As a driver, I know Daytona requires a great amount of mental skill to succeed. Mike has always been one of the best plate racers, and the skill set he brings makes him the best choice among drivers to be able to race our way into the Daytona 500," said Long.
Wallace and MBM do not have a charter so they will either have to make their way in via time trials or the Duel at Daytona qualifying race. The team will be supported by Coble Enterprises but is seeking additional partnerships for the race and season.
Wallace would be the second oldest driver to make the Daytona 500. The oldest is Mark Thompson. He was 66 in the 2018 Daytona 500. Thompson finished 22nd in that race, the last of his three career Cup starts.