66-year-old Mike Wallace was dreaming of becoming one of the oldest drivers to start a Cup Series race around this time last week. He was set to pilot the No. 66 Ford Mustang for MBM Motorsports in the 2025 Daytona 500. And then, a devastating phone call reached him on Monday informing him NASCAR had deemed him ineligible to race.
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The sanctioning body had reasoned its decision by citing Wallace’s recent inactivity on racing tracks. The official statement read, “He has not raced on an intermediate or larger racetrack since 2015. Due to this inactivity, at this time, he is not approved to race at the NASCAR Cup Series level.”
Wallace, who was going to attempt the Great American Race in memory of his late wife Carla, was left heartbroken by the news. What he still can’t wrap his head around is why NASCAR initially led him to believe that he was all sorted to participate in the event. He opened up on the same confusion in a recent interview with Racing America.
He complained that many, including NASCAR’s president, had spoken to him earlier and congratulated him for his effort. Gaining confidence from all the wishes of people holding positions in the office, he had invested some hefty sums in purchasing racing suits and equipment and doing physical and mental tests.
The tests, in particular, have left him in a tricky mental spot. He detailed, “I had a 10:30 AM ET appointment [at Charlotte] per NASCAR’s requirements to do the health fair and did the drug test, did the eye test, and did the physical test. I even volunteered to have my mouth scanned.”
The results of Wallace’s physical tests and subsequent disappointment
The old driver had been more than happy to get himself checked from a physical and mental standpoint. His disappointment stems from the fact that NASCAR charged him for all those tests and then rejected him. He said, “You know, I was all-in, all-in. And they allowed me to pay those fees, the drug fees, the concussion fee that they charge to do those tests.”
NASCAR has prevented him from running in not just the Daytona 500, but from any race in the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, or the Truck Series. The detailed reports of the physical tests haven’t been released to the public. Wallace had wanted to honor his wife and his family with his effort. It is understandable why he would take this to heart.
Carla passed away in 2024 following a long battle with ovarian cancer. Hopefully, he will be able to remain strong through the year and come back to try again in 2026. MBM Motorsports, in the meanwhile, is looking to fill the seat of the No. 66 car with a funded driver.
