“She Had a Bout With Cancer”: How Wife’s Death Led Mike Wallace to Make Incredible Daytona 500 Decision

The upcoming 67th running of the 2025 Daytona 500 is set to witness the return of veteran NASCAR driver Mike Wallace to the famed event. However, the reason behind the 65-year-old’s return is rather unique and personal. Slated to pilot the #66 entry fielded by MBM Motorsports, Wallace explained the reasoning behind his return and said:

“The big reason is in January 2024 I lost my wife Carla from being married 44 years. She had a bout with cancer, we thought she had beat it, unfortunately, she didn’t and life wasn’t all that great, wasn’t that fun in 2024,” he said on his brother Kenny Wallace’s podcast.

“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,” added the Missouri native.

Wallace also shared how he and his family needed a boost in morale to recover from their loss. “Myself and my kids, we all needed a boost. We need something that would say, ‘Here’s a positive story for us, let’s go make it happen’ and this opportunity presented itself.”

With more than 800 starts and 11 Daytona 500 appearances under his belt to date, it remains to be seen how Wallace can adapt to the Next Gen car in a superspeedway setting as the regular points-paying season kicks off with the event in February,

MBM Motorsports’ Carl Long’s thoughts on Mike Wallace’s return

“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,” Carl Long said while discussing how Wallace has been adept at pack racing on superspeedway-style tracks throughout his career. Thus, solidifying the team’s trust in him as an entrant into the famed race this year despite his age factor.

“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,” added Long who is in charge of running MBM Motorsports alongside co-owners Rocky Smith, Tom Smith, and John Jackson.

With a definite chip on his shoulder and memories from last year to forget, Wallace’s attempt to race full-time drivers as well as other entries this year will certainly distract him from the tragic loss of a loved one last year. It now remains to be seen how well the veteran driver will perform once the event goes live.