65-year-old Mike Wallace shocked the racing world on Thursday by announcing that he will attempt to race in the 2025 Daytona 500. He retired from Cup Series racing in 2015 and hasn’t touched a race car in so long. While stunned by his decision, the NASCAR fandom came to his rescue when a few naysayers popped up on social media.
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Nick Bromberg, a college football reporter, had posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he wasn’t pleased with the idea that a 65-year-old with no recent experience would be allowed to attempt the Daytona 500. Mike’s brother, Kenny, wrote back, “Would not expect anything less out of you, Nick. You’ve always been a negative reporter.”
Fans crowded below Kenny’s response in support of him. One comment read, “Haters gonna hate You, Schrader, Rusty should field some cars and show these young boys how to do it 
” Wouldn’t that be a sight?
Another said, “IMO Mike Wallace’s best racetracks were Daytona and Talladega. Mike knows how to take care of the car and stay out of trouble. I will tell you right now I will be pulling for Mike.”
Rest assured Kenny…I will be rooting for Mike!
— Michael Hall (@NineCharlieEcho) January 2, 2025
Mike has won races at Daytona and Talladega in both NASCAR and ARCA. Prior experience is the least of his worries. It is getting into speed that might trouble him. But one fan believed that it would be akin to driving a bike again after a break. He wrote, “I think he would do well. Some practice laps in and he will be right up there. Like riding a bike again.”
Can Mike Wallace do justice to the support that he is receiving?
Mark Thompson is the oldest driver to attempt the Daytona 500. He drove the race in 2018 at the age of 66 and finished in 22nd place. Mike has a more impressive racing career behind him than Thompson did. It should be quite possible that he is able to qualify for the race and finish in a better position.
He will be driving the No. 66 Ford for MBM Motorsports. The car will have an Yates engine beneath its hood. Mike believes that this ought to give him enough firepower to challenge the young kids on the race track. One of the biggest reasons why he is doing this is to honor his wife, Carla, who passed away this year following a battle with cancer.
He told Sportsnaut, “This is all heart. It started with my wife and it will end with her. She was always in my corner. … She would be really proud of this because I watched her support me for years.” Negativity gets thrown out the door with words like that. Qualifying exists for a reason. Should Mike make it through the door, who is to say that he shouldn’t race in the main event?
