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Mike Wallace Not Approved to Drive in 2025 Daytona 500

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Mike Wallace has not been approved to compete in the season-opening Daytona 500, a representative from MBM Motorsports has confirmed to TobyChristie.com.

On January 2, Wallace announced that he would attempt to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series season-opener, piloting the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the Carl Long-owned operation.

The 65-year-old driver has not competed in a NASCAR National Series event since running a three-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports on the road courses in 2020, at the Indianapolis Road Course, Road America, and Daytona’s Road Course.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mike Wallace said: “To my utter shock and devastation at 4:00 today NASCAR competition director Elton Sawyer called me to inform me that NASCAR has decided to not only approve me for the Daytona 500 but at this time not approved to race in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series in 2025 but could go through [their] process to possibly get approved for 2026.”

“This comes as a total shock as the President of NASCAR last week in a real phone call told me all was good and he would see me in Daytona. I owe this posting to all my fans and nonfans who were so supportive through the great measures and postings of support as they say I inspired them.”

Kenny Wallace, the younger brother of Mike Wallace, took to social media on Monday, saying that Elton Sawyer, Senior Vice President of Competition for NASCAR, informed Mike that due to his inactivity, he would not be approved for the race.

In a statement to TobyChristie.com, NASCAR says: “For each resume approval request, recent racing activity and performance is a primary factor for consideration. 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.”

Carl Long, owner of MBM Motorsports, has yet to make a public comment on Wallace not being approved to race by NASCAR. It’s unclear whether the organization will still field an entry in the Daytona 500.

“MBM Motorsports can confirm that NASCAR has deemed Mike Wallace is not eligible to compete in the 2025 Daytona 500, despite eleven previous 500 starts and several superspeedway wins, due to lack of recent races in major professional motorsports. We are devastated for Mike and the Wallace family that this opportunity will not come to fruition.”

“For MBM, we must regroup at this late stage with the loss of our driver and sponsor for The Great American Race. Our team is working swiftly to sign another funded driver for Speedweeks in order to still attempt the 67th Daytona 500.”

Further announcements on who will attempt the 2025 Daytona 500 for MBM Motorsports will come at a later date.

One Response

  1. this is total bullshit from nascar !!!!!! just another stupid thing they have been doing for a few years now and they just continue to get worse!!!!!

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