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Frankie Muniz in NASCAR: What You Need To Know

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What’s Happening?

Actor-turned-NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz announced Tuesday that he is going full-time racing next season. Frankie has been racing in NASCAR for almost two years now, so here’s everything you need to know about Frankie’s route to NASCAR’s top three series.

  • Prior to his racing venture, Frankie Muniz starred in shows such as Malcolm in the Middle and Agent Cody Banks. When Frankie made his NASCAR debut in 2023, fans were curious as to how he would fare.
  • His jump to NASCAR was not shocking, as Frankie was an outspoken racing fan prior to this leap. However, his ascension is going fast, and some worry it is too fast.

2023: First Steps

On Jan. 11, 2023, Muniz announced his debut in full-time NASCAR competition. He would race in the ARCA Menards Series with Rette Jones Racing. Along with this signing came a deeper relationship with Ford, which would help his ascension through the NASCAR Ranks. Despite the help from Ford, one thing was clear. Muniz, as seen in this interview with Eric Estepp on the Out of The Groove YouTube channel, was taking this seriously.

The ARCA Menards Series is NASCAR’s “Single A” touring series, made up of part-timers, rookies, and amateurs. The series features older car designs and shorter races across the US. While most drivers in quality equipment do well in ARCA, the series does a quality job of sorting out those who take racing seriously from those who aren’t going to make it.

Muniz would not win in his 20-race ARCA schedule last season. However, he was extremely consistent and finished fourth in the season standings, racking up one top-five and 11 top-tens. It should be noted that Muniz was one of six drivers to race in all 20 races last season, but he did lead points for a fleeting moment.

While some would consider this season a success, for the 37-year-old rookie, it was a success. Most figured this would lead to more opportunities and another full-time season. However, Ford and Muniz had other, albeit odd, plans.

2024: Piecing Things Together

Muniz kept his plans close to his chest entering 2024—that was until Feb. 9, when he announced that his Truck Series debut, not his Xfinity Series debut, would be at Daytona for Emerling-Gase Motorsports.

This swift jump shocked some. However, his season continued to devolve into a series of part-time starts in the ARCA and Truck Series with Reaume Brothers Racing and more Xfinity Races with Emerling-Gase. This felt like a step down. However, as the season continued, it appeared to be a test drive for something greater.

As fun as it is to see Muniz at these levels, as of press time, the season has not gone great:

  • ARCA Menard Series – Two Starts, Best finish of 9th
  • Craftsman Truck Series – Two Starts, Best finish of 29th
  • Xfinity Series – Two Starts, One DNQ, Best Finish of 30th

While the season did not go according to plan, another shock came on Oct. 23 when Muniz announced he was going full-time Truck Series racing with Reaume Brothers Racing in 2025.

While many fans are excited, some are cautious. But why is this?

Beyond Statistics

While Muniz showed improvement in the ARCA Series throughout 2023, 2024 showed a steeper learning curve ahead. Some fans are worried about his stats, as he hasn’t been in bad equipment with RBR. But the fear comes from his fast ascension.

Year in and year out, we see drivers shoot up the ranks and seemingly falter out. For example, take Muniz’s former fellow Ford prospect Hailie Deegan. Deegan began her career on a hot streak but continued to climb to heights without slowing down to adjust to her new series. Deegan is now out of NASCAR and headed for IndyCar.

While his fast ascension could be a problem, his age already affects his metaphorical “stock price.” Developmental drivers are getting younger and younger, and while Muniz may want to shoot to the top quickly, this could hurt his career rather than help him.

The Right State of Mind

While Muniz’s promotion has plenty of detractors, the fact is that he is not the average driver. Frankie is taking his NASCAR career in stride, taking the blows as they come, and having fun with it overall.

It’s not that he is not taking it seriously. Racing a full-time schedule takes a load off the body, and Muniz has already raced with a broken rib this year at Kansas, though this appears to be a non-racing injury.

Furthermore, Muniz brings a well-known name to RBR’s team and the always much-needed sponsorship. This will help any driver trying to work their way through NASCAR. For Muniz, it gives him a chance to grow. He has already proven his doubters wrong, so why not go on a bigger stage again?

Next year, Muniz’s NASCAR future will be told. Will he make it? Will he win? No one knows, but this will be a major step for a fan-favorite driver, and it is in his hands to prove himself to everyone once again.

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Kauy Ostlien

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