“He lost his wife, he’s lonely”: Kenny Wallace comments on brother Mike Wallace’s Daytona 500 attempt

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace recently shared his thoughts on his older brother, Mike Wallace, trying to qualify for the 2025 Daytona 500. Mike will attempt to race the 'Great American Race' this February in the No. 66 car for MBM Motorsports. The 65-year-old last raced in a national series five years ago and had over 190 starts in the Cup Series between the 1990 and 2010s.

During the latest episode of the "Coffee with Kenny" podcast, Kenny talked about the tough year Mike has had after losing his wife, Carla, to cancer last January.

"Mike's got to get this out of his system. He lost his wife, he's lonely. It's America, baby, it's a dream of his. Let him be, let him be," Kenny Wallace said (09:52).

"If Mike makes the race, he won't be the oldest person to do that? There's another gentleman in 2018 that made the race, okay? That was 66 years old. So, the degree of difficulty for brother Mike doing this is much lower than going to Martinsville or going anywhere else," he added (09:24).

Mark Thompson is currently the oldest driver who raced in the Daytona 500 in 2018 and finished in 22nd place. Mike will be the second-oldest to race in the event if he qualifies.

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"2024 was a devastating year for me" - Mike Wallace on racing in 2025 Daytona 500

Mike Wallace (left), Kenny Wallace (center) and Steve Wallace at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 27, 2008. Source: Imagn

Mike Wallace last competed in the Daytona 500 a decade ago with Premium Motorsports. He has finished in the top 10 three times in 11 starts at the race and even won races at Daytona in the Xfinity and Truck Series.

Wallace talked about attempting to race at the Daytona 500 which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16.

"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," Mike Wallace said (via si.com).

"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," he added.

MBM Motorsports, co-owned by Carl Lang, has not raced in the Daytona 500 since 2020 and failed to qualify for the event in the past two years.