After Shane van Gisbergen’s entry in 2023, Helio Castroneves is set to make his NASCAR debut in the upcoming season at Daytona. Another entry that had fans buzzing recently was former driver Mike Wallace. While this would not have marked his debut, having competed in the Cup Series for 19 years with 197 starts, he was enthusiastic about his return.
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On January 2, 2025, it was announced that Wallace would attempt at the 2025 Daytona 500 with MBM Motorsports. However, a twist came on January 13th when NASCAR ruled that Wallace could not compete in the Daytona 500 due to his prolonged absence from racing on intermediate or larger tracks. As Bob Pockrass from Fox Sports reported,
“NASCAR has not approved Mike Wallace to race the Daytona 500 because he has not raced on an intermediate or larger racetrack since 2015,” despite his history of eleven Daytona 500 starts and several superspeedway victories.
NASCAR has not approved Mike Wallace to race the Daytona 500 because he has not raced on an intermediate or larger racetrack since 2015.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 14, 2025
MBM Motorsports is currently scrambling to reorganize after losing both their driver and sponsor for the Daytona 500. The team is seeking to secure a funded driver for the upcoming Speedweeks in order to still make a run at the 67th Daytona 500. Opportunities for sponsorship are still available with their #66 team.
Fans, however, are expressing dissatisfaction with NASCAR’s decision, accusing the organization of having double standards. One fan expressed frustration, saying, “But Helio gets a pass with how many nascar starts? With no effort whatsoever? Screwing over your own drivers just to chase a fan base that isn’t there.”
Another fan criticized NASCAR’s inconsistency, stating, “But they’ll approve Helio Castroneves who hasn’t raced on an intermediate or larger racetrack (in a NASCAR vehicle) since…..ever?”
And letting Helio run is plausible? NASCAR is so damn stubborn.
— 24/7 NASCAR (@NASCAR247) January 14, 2025
Meanwhile, another supporter advocated for Wallace, passionately arguing, “Let him race! Let him race! If Helio can then Mike can.”
Wallace shares his emotions on being rejected by NASCAR
Wallace eagerly anticipating his participation in the Daytona 500, took to his Facebook to express his dismay after being denied entry by NASCAR. He shared his disappointment, writing,
“To my utter shock and devastation at 4:00 today NASCAR competetion director Elton Sawyer called me to inform me that NASCAR has decided not only to not approve me for Daytona 500 but at this time not approved to race in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series in 2025 but could go through there process to possibly get approved for 2026.”
He elaborated on his surprise, noting that just last week, the President of NASCAR had assured him in a genuine phone conversation that everything was set for Daytona.
Additionally, Wallace reflected on a personal note, recalling his late wife Carla who passed away last year following a prolonged battle with cancer. He had hoped to commemorate this year’s race with a special family photo on pit road at Daytona.
As the situation unfolds, it remains uncertain who will take Wallace’s place in the MBM Motorsports lineup for the upcoming Daytona race.
