NASCAR recently rejected 65-year-old Mike Wallace’s bid to race in the 2025 Daytona 500 and become one of the oldest drivers to attempt the marquee event. It cited his lack of recent experience in the sport as the main reason for the denial. However, there have been multiple old drivers who’ve raced in the Daytona 500 in the past. Here’s a breakdown of the most notable of them.
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5. Dick Trickle – This iconic yesteryear legend started the 1998 Daytona 500 at the age of 56. It was his final appearance in the Great American Race, and he finished 27th after starting 34th. His best finish in the Daytona 500 was fifth place in 1992. He passed away at the age of 71 (2013) from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
4. A.J. Foyt – This IndyCar Series superstar made 128 Cup Series starts in his career. One of the last of them was the 1992 Daytona 500, which he attempted at the age of 57. He’d previously won the race in 1972. But on his final try, he started 39th and finished 21st. Foyt is known for being the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
3. Dave Marcis – Marcis was 60 years, 11 months, and 17 days old when he started the 2002 Daytona 500. He finished 14th after starting 42nd. His best finish in the race came in 1975 and 1978 when he finished in sixth place. Notably, he competed in every single Daytona 500 from 1968 to 1999. His best championship standings position was second in 1975.
2. Derrike Cope – Cope started 428 races in his Cup Series career and won two races. The bigger of those wins was the 1990 Daytona 500. In 2021, he made his final Daytona 500 start at the age of 62 years, 3 months, and 11 days. He finished 40th after suffering a crash after three laps.
1. Mark Thompson – This driver started only three Cup Series races in his career. The last of them was the 2018 Daytona 500, which he started at the age of 66 years, 7 months, and 9 days. He drove the No. 66 Ford for MBM Motorsports. He also started four Xfinity Series races in his career. Phoenix Air, a company he founded, serves as a sponsor for the team today.
It was under Thompson’s same team and car number that Wallace was set to race in the upcoming Daytona 500. NASCAR’s top brass decided against it and left him reeling in disappointment. The former driver would’ve found his name on this list had things fallen into place. It is unlikely that he will make another attempt in the future.
