Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Premiers Series champion, is going to race again at Daytona International Speedway.
No, the NASCAR Hall of Fame member won’t be wheeling a stock car around the high banks of Daytona. Instead, he’ll pilot a Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO around the 3.56-mile Daytona road course as part of the Ferrari Finali Mondiali.
Wallace will drive for the Risi Competizione/Ferrari of Houston team in the North America series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. Wallace will practice on Dec. 1 followed by qualifying and racing on Dec. 2-3.
He will test at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas to prepare for the event.
“I hope that I can run strong in it and hopefully win but I’m realistic too,” Wallace said. “I haven’t been in a car in a long time. I’m going to have to knock a lot of cobwebs off but I got the passion for it.”
The Ferrari Finali Mondiali, the four-day event that is being staged in North America for the first time, will bring together competitors from the European, North American and Asia Pacific series of the Ferrari Challenge for a battle for the World Championship in their Ferrari 458 Challenge EVOs.
The Ferrari Finali Mondiali has been previously held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and Italy. The weekend also includes the display and running of historic Formula 1 cars.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen will drive in the Formula 1 exhibition, marking the first public appearance of Formula One cars in the history of Daytona.
“I’m going to make sure I’m watching that,” Wallace said. “The sound is going to be incredible. Everybody is talking about it. There is noise in the (NASCAR) garage about that. I definitely want to see that.”
