NASCAR News: 65-year-old man Wallace to attempt Daytona 500
Motorsports Business Management (MBM Motorsports) will enter the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the 67th annual Daytona 500 with veteran NASCAR racer Mike Wallace behind the wheel.
The 65-year-old Missouri native has more than 800 starts in the top three divisions of NASCAR, including eleven starts in the Great American Race. Wallace has earned nine NASCAR national series race wins, and he has driven to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway in multiple championships, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series.
He is also a winner in both NASCAR and ARCA at Talladega Superspeedway, the other traditional drafting-style superspeedway.
Related Article: Three men arrested in beating of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace and his daughter (Update)
“I am very excited to be teamed up with Carl Long and the complete MBM Motorsports team, along with Doug Yates’ support, for a return trip to the Daytona 500 after being away for a few years,” said Wallace.
“I just can’t wait to work with Carl again in the first laps of practice at the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway. I say it that way out of the enormous honor and respect I have for Daytona, along with all the pride and prestige it brings to myself and my team as a winner here. Fortunately, I did win the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona, so my name is etched in the history books, along with my Xfinity Series and ARCA wins at the Speedway.
“2024 was a devastating year for me with the loss of Carla, my wife of 44 years, who passed away in January from a battle with cancer. 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 with the chance to both be a part of and then race to win the Daytona 500!”
Carl Long, who operates MBM Motorsports with co-owners Rocky and Tom Smith as well as John Jackson, shared some background on how this deal developed.
“When we completed Martinsville at the end of 2024, we started the process of tearing the car down and rebuilding it back as our superspeedway car. We made the jump in November to sign the Yates engine contract for the (Daytona) 500 without knowing with any certainty exactly how it would all come together.”
In a team Facebook post before Christmas, Long explained the status of his organization and speculated on the possible Open entries for Daytona. Wallace gave the MBM team owner a call and within a few minutes, Carl knew he had the man he needed to pilot the No. 66 in Daytona.
“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. 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,” said Long.
Long-time team partner Coble Enterprises has already signed up to support the No. 66 team in Daytona as an associate sponsor. Coble Enterprises specializes in personalized property management for residential and commercial properties. MBM Motorsports continues to hunt for a primary marketing partner to join our team. The battle among the Open cars to race into the Daytona 500 will get huge fanfare and media attention. Inquiries can be made by contacting info@mbmmotorsports.com.
The NASCAR Cup Series action at Daytona commences on Wednesday, February 12 with practice and single-car qualifying, leading into the Daytona 500 Duels on Thursday, February 13 that will determine the starting lineup for the Great American Race. The 67th Daytona 500 is scheduled for 2:30 pm ET on Sunday, February 16.
— MBM Motorsports —