Insider lays bare NASCAR’s ice-cold take on Kevin Harvick Inc.’s former driver’s Daytona 500 dream: ‘He was never approved’

Motorsports insider Matt Weaver conveyed NASCAR's strict verdict on Kevin Harvick Inc.'s former Truck Series driver Mike Wallace. The 65-year-old confirmed his Daytona 500 entry with MBM Motorsports but the VP of competition Elton Sawyer later denied his 500-miler bid.

The 2025 Daytona 500 was about to witness Mike Wallace's return to NASCAR after his ultimate Xfinity Series race in 2020. The former KHI driver ran for Harvick in a one-off effort at the 2011 Talladega race and earned the race win. He revealed although he was given the nod by NASCAR president Steve Phelps, Sawyer denied the bid.

But with Helio Castroneves' Daytona 500 entry without even a compulsory qualifying, fans wondered why the sanctioning body refused a former NASCAR driver's request. While Castroneves is still an active racer, Wallace isn't. He last raced on an intermediate or larger race track in 2015, and his inactivity became the sole reason for denying him a spot in the 67th edition of the Daytona 500.

Two weeks after NASCAR's refusal, Matt Weaver elaborated on what was said during the denial. He outlined that Wallace took the wrong approach to guarantee his Daytona 500 spot and that he was 'never approved' in the first place.

"The Mike Wallace situation was described by NASCAR as a 'cart before the horse' situation and that 'he was never approved' for Daytona. He's also been given “a road map on how to race next year’s Daytona 500 and we’d love to see him there,” Weaver Tweeted.

Following Wallace's Daytona snub, ex-JGR driver Chandler Smith grabbed the opportunity with Garage 66 to field the #66 Ford.

NASCAR clarifies the 'elite' requirement for getting the Open Exemption Provisional for a former Cup driver

NASCAR's ruling on Mike Wallace received mixed responses. While some expressed disappointment with the decision to not let a former Cup Series driver run in the Daytona 500, others understood that his inactivity was rightly pointed out by the officials in denying the request.

Even though Wallace cannot race in any NASCAR-warranted event in 2025, he has been given a roadmap to safeguard a spot in the 2026 Daytona 500.

However, amid the conundrum surrounding the Open Exemption Provisional, especially for former NASCAR drivers, insider Bob Pockrass summarized the sanctioning body's take on keeping the OEP doors open only for 'elite drivers.'

"NASCAR says the driver provisional can be requested for a former full-time Cup driver who is elite credentials. So someone such as Johnson and Truex potentially could ask for it. Still must be asked 90 days prior, which they said Trackhouse did for Castroneves," Pockrass wrote.

It's worth mentioning that Mike Wallace's brother Kenny's podcast host Charlie Marlow opined that the sanctioning body should've at least allowed the former driver to participate in the qualifying event.