Kenny Wallace Clears the Air on His Brother’s Daytona 500 Disqualification and Heartbreak

The oldest driver to ever compete in the Daytona 500 was 66 years old. Mark Thompson made history in 2018, and Mike Wallace was about to sit right behind him on that list in 2025 with MBM Motorsports. However, the long arm of the NASCAR law has struck. Mike Wallace announced today that he has been disqualified from racing at the Daytona 500.

Wallace is part of a racing family with brothers Kenny Wallace and Rusty Wallace, both accomplished drivers. The 65-year-old also boasts over 800 NASCAR starts in his career with three wins at the Daytona International Speedway, in the ARCA series, Xfinity Series, and the inaugural Truck Race at Daytona in 2000. With such a glittering resume to go with longevity, why is Mike Wallace being disqualified? His brother Kenny Wallace reveals it all on his YouTube channel.

Mike Wallace was embarrassed and dejected

On January 2nd, it was announced that Mike Wallace would be taking on the steering for the MBM team. However, it is known to all that Wallace hasn’t touched the steering wheel in the past five years. Consequently, the team had to wait for approval from NASCAR to ensure that Wallace could be a part-time entry. According to the rules and regulations that NASCAR currently follows, for each driver request submitted, NASCAR goes through extensive recent racing activity and performance scrutiny.  

Speaking of what Mike Wallace told Kenny, the latter said, “Mike said, furthermore Elton said to me, ‘Mike you can’t run anything because you’ve been inactive’… Mike has only run a couple of dirt races somewhere in Missouri and maybe down south. He wasn’t in anybody’s way and was up to speed, but NASCAR deems that Mike hasn’t raced anything in five years, so, they’re the bosses.” Wallace last participated in the NASCAR Cup Series during the 2015 Daytona 500. This is also where he secured the 36th position while he drove for Premium Motorsports. 

His most recent appearance in a national series came in 2020, competing in three Xfinity Series races for JD Motorsports. To further add to the decision, NASCAR has made it clear that Wallace is not permitted to race in any of the series’ across NASCAR. He said, “I received a call from my brother Mike on this Monday around three o’clock. His voice sounded very dejected, he’s embarrassed. But yes, the headlines are true. Mike received a phone call from Elton Sawyer, who said ‘Mike, we’re disqualifying you, not just from the Daytona 500 but anything in NASCAR.”

As Mike Wallace goes through a hard time accepting his fate, his team tries to find a driver to fill in for the veteran.

MBM Motorsports is in a tough spot to find a driver

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The Daytona 500 is just a few weeks away from now and the disqualification of Mike Wallace from the run has put MBM Motorsports in a tough spot. MBM Motorsports, owned by Carl Long, is now trying to find a replacement for Mike Wallace who could enhance their chances on the track. While the team has struggled with sponsorship since its inception, the situation was a tad bit better when Mike Wallace joined the team. However, it seems as though despite the heartbreak Mike himself is going through, he is quite understanding of the team as well. 

Speaking of the same, Mike Wallace said, “Please show your Love and support to Carl Long and the complete MBM Motorsports team as this has now put them in a terrible position.” Mike Wallace said in a post on Facebook. MBM Motorsports also took to social media to share their feelings on not being able to provide a ride for Mike Wallace, “We are devastated for Mike and the Wallace family that this opportunity will not come to fruition.”

MBM Motorsports is a relatively smaller team and losing a driver after looking for sponsors for so long can be detrimental to their financial situation. Keeping up with the commitments they have promised their sponsors is essential for their survival as a team and they are on the outlook for a replacement. “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,” they said in a statement.

What do you think of the Mike Wallace situation? Should he be reinstated into the Daytona 500?