The Daytona 500 is sold out for its 10th year running. Such is the history and tradition behind the event. In 2025, the event could see 41 cars take part with the Open Exepmtion Provisional which would allow 49-year-old Helio Castroneves to race even if he doesn’t qualify. However, 65-year-old NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace has been banned from taking part after he announced his desire to do so. This sparked a debate as to whether NASCAR is better suited for young racers over older, retired ones, and how large the gap is.

Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader took to their podcast, Herm and Schrader, to discuss age, and why older drivers can’t compete at the level of the young guns of the sport.

How big a factor does age play?

There is a pattern that NASCAR players are exhibiting when it comes to the veteran sector. For example, Jimmie Johnson who has been a seven-time Cup Series title champion has failed to make a statement in any of his recent stints. It seems as though he is not being able to tame the Next-Gen cars, leading to abysmal finishes.

A common question in this aspect remains, are drivers not being able to prove their worth when it comes to NASCAR and age? Surely, age brings in a lot of experience. But to add to that, it does pose a few logistical challenges. Speaking of the same, NASCAR insider Ken Schrader said, “Your life changes too much as you get older. You’ve got too many different things pulling at you… Sure, the young guys in the sport now, they’ve got little ones too. But they don’t have kids in college, ones who are married, or grandkids. Life just gets more complicated as you get older”. Schrader points out the responsibilities of a parent when you get older and how much one’s life changes. Aside from this, physical condition also plays a huge role.

Physical barriers are also much less and it is possible to tame your body better. To handle the exhaustion the track brings in, it is important to stay in your best possible physical fitness. Schrader added, “ Those guys are 100% focused. They’re in better shape. Now, we can be in decent shape, but you can’t do what those kids can do… we’re not racing at that level… None of us are racing at that level at our age. Youth is going to win out on there. Now there’s a time where the graphs cross where ‘hey that youth is okay’. But it it doesn’t make up for that experience but that’s the difference between like 18 and 35 it’s not the difference between 18 and 60s”.  Schrader mentions a point in time where the kids and the older generation were overlapping. Like in 2013 when Jimmie Johnson won his 7th title at the age of 38. However, since then he has not won a single race and retired full-time after 2020.

Age undoubtedly brings wisdom and experience. However, it also brings complexities that can hinder a driver’s ability to perform at the highest level, particularly, for a physically demanding sport like NASCAR. Added to that, veteran drivers like Kenny Wallace or even Ken Schrader himself have left their mark at this level, allowing them the luxury to stay back and not compete in full-time racing. As they discussed the age factor, fans on X shared their views on Mike Wallace’s exclusion and old drivers racing at the Daytona 500.

Fans share their two bits on how age could be an important factor to consider 

The debate about whether age should at all be a factor to consider is not a subject of discussion for NASCAR insiders only. Even fans have taken on the same and a post on X citing the current Mike Wallace has invited debates. The post read, “Last thing I’m saying on the Mike Wallace ruling. Nascar set a bad standard with its ruling. Under the “Mike Wallace” rule. Neither Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, or Jeff Burton would be allowed to attempt the Daytona 500. Yep, that’s as crazy as it sounds”. 

Commenting on the same, a fan shared that given this sector of drivers does not have their expertise in handling these cars, inclusion in the current series does not make sense. The fan said, “Let me ask it this way. Do any of them have experience in the current generation cars? They have all been of racing for at 5 years. The answer to my question is no. That means none of these drivers should be allowed to drive at a super speedway”. Another fan resonated with the same emotion and commented, “We don’t need 60 year olds who haven’t raced in a decade running superspeedways”.  This is more of a safety issue than anything, with a lack of experience in the last 5 years, running at such tracks is a risk to the driver and others racing as well.

Another fan had a unique take where he suggested that it is not the deadline that is subjected to scrutiny. However, NASCAR is supposed to communicate the same in a timely fashion. The comment read, “I don’t think establishing an inactivity threshold is a bad thing; not communicating it in a timely manner, providing conflictng messaging, and not even having one is”. Given that Daytona and Talladega are highly competitive tracks with high speed and tight banking, the thought of a 60-year-old, without any recent practice, racing at the event irked this fan, who said, “We dont need 60+ year old men racing at Daytona and Dega”.

And finally, another fan suggested how there are other options for veteran racers to keep up with their enthusiasm and passion. The comment read, “That’s completely fine, run Arca, and then cup race, simple”. This debate highlights that while fans acknowledge the legacy of veteran drivers, they also emphasize the need for safety. To add to that adaptability to modern cars is also a crucial factor.