Frankie Muniz Set To Race Full Time In NASCAR Truck Series Next Season
Frankie Muniz is ready to hang with the big guys as the former Malcolm In The Middle TV star announced that he will be racing full-time for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series beginning next season.
FRANKIE MUNIZ GOES FULL-TIME NASCAR
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Muniz said that his passion for racing came down to the idea that, unlike one's acting performance, there's nothing subjective about racing - you're either first or you're last as good ol' Ricky Bobby told us.
"As an actor, like, I've been fortunate to do a lot of great things and people tell me, ‘I love your show, or I love this or love that,’ but, you know, it's all based on opinion. I could show up to work as an actor and dedicate my life to the role and feel like I did the best job ever. And then people see it and go, 'Yeah, it was okay. I didn't like it.' Where, as a race car driver, it's not subjective. It's in black and white. You either win and you're the fastest or you're slow."
For those that think this is some sort of midlife crisis decision, you couldn't be more wrong as Muniz has been truck racing since 2006, when Malcolm had wrapped up. After starting in the smaller truck series, the actor-turned-racer built his way up to eventually qualify for the ARCA series before eventually making his way to the ultimate dream of competing in the 2023 NASCAR truck run.
Anyone who knows racing knows that nothing is handed to their drivers, especially in the beginning, as you best bet that it's going to be a tough time and that only the strong survive the industry and the backyard politics - something that Muniz has been able to do. At one point, he was even injured during a race that resulted in surgery and kept him out of racing for multiple years. However, he would fight his way back and now his dream has become a reality when he'll be racing weekly in the NASCAR Truck Series next year.
"When ‘Malcolm’ ended in 2006, that was the year that I started racing professionally," Muniz continued with in his conversation with Fox News Digital. "And at that time, I was like, 'I don't care what it is. I don't care what offer it is. I don't care how much money it is, don't call me. I'm going racing. I want to focus.' If I'm competing against the best drivers in the world, I've got to dedicate my life to that. I think I needed that just to have a greater appreciation now for what I did when I was younger."
Race fans will also be excited to know that Muniz has signed with FORD Performance and Reaume Brothers Racing. For years, Muniz couldn't find a reliable race car team as his previous Toyota cars always seemed to have mechanical issues and something wrong with them - some even quipping that it seemed like he was getting old, backed up parts. The new partnership will now change that.
In the end, the Muniz move is only going to help popularize the sometimes forgotten Truck Series rather than the NASCAR race car one, as well as perhaps most importantly, bring in the next generation of drivers who recognize the star from some of their favorite TV shows and movies.