NASCAR: Rusty Wallace to drive in Ferrari Finali Mondiali

Above: Rusty Wallace, with Brad Keselowski, at Daytona in Jan. 2014.

Rusty Wallace is getting back behind the wheel of a racecar for the upcoming Ferrari Finali Mondiali, Dec. 1-4 at Daytona International Speedway.

The 60-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer, who retired after the 2005 season, will take to the 3.56-mile road course for the Risi Competizione/Ferrari of Houston team in the North America series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. Wallace will practice on Thursday, followed by qualifying and racing on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2 and 3.

"I hope that I can run strong in it and hopefully win but I'm realistic too," said Wallace, who won the Sprint Cup Series championship in 1989. "I haven't been in a car in a long time. I'm going to have to knock a lot cobwebs off but I got the passion for it."

Wallace will test with the team at the Circuit of The Americas to get acclimated to the car and crew before arriving at Daytona.

"Everybody that I talk to says (the team) is first class," Wallace said. "The team has welcomed me with open arms."

Wallace has only competed once on the Daytona road course when he made his lone Rolex 24 At Daytona start in 2006.

He currently serves as an analyst for MRN Radio.

The Ferrari Finali Mondiali is a four-day event that is being staged in North America for the first time, bringing competitors from the European, North American and Asia Pacific series of the Ferrari Challenge together for a battle in their Ferrari 458 Challenge EVOs. The Ferrari Finali Mondiali previously has been held in Abu Dhabi, Spain and Italy. The weekend also includes the display and running of historic Formula 1 cars and Ferrari's exclusive XX Programmes.

The Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 show is scheduled for the final day of the Ferrari Finali Mondiali. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will drive in the Formula 1 exhibition during the Ferrari Finali Mondiali, the first public appearance of Formula 1 cars in Daytona International Speedway history. The Scuderia Ferrari drivers will participate in the show that will feature demonstrations of pit stops, accelerations and fast laps.

"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."