‘Malcolm in the Middle’ actor Frankie Muniz finished 10th at Daytona
- Frankie Muniz finishes 10th at Daytona
- The actor is now a full-time NASCAR driver
- He said he ‘couldn’t ask for anything better’
Published on Feb 19, 2025 at 8:53 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Feb 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Actor-turned-NASCAR race driver Frankie Muniz has finished in 10th place at Daytona International Speedway.
Muniz, who is best known for playing the titular character in the long-running sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, made his NASCAR debut in June last year at the Rackley Roofing 200.
In October it was announced he would drive full-time for Reaume Brothers Racing for the Truck Series 2025 season.
Last weekend (Saturday, February 15), he celebrated a strong finish as he secured 10th place in the Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway.
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Frankie Muniz has turned his attention towards NASCAR racing
The 39-year-old surprised fans after he announced he was stepping back from Hollywood in favor of racing.
He’s since proved himself to be a competent and proficient racer and is now a full-time NASCAR driver.
At the weekend, Muniz enjoyed the best finish of his racing career as he came in 10th.
Muniz was actually the 11th to cross the line, but when winner Parker Kligerman was disqualified because his truck didn’t meet the minimum post-race height, he was boosted up to tenth.
As you can imagine, Muniz was delighted with the result, telling FOX Sports he ‘couldn’t ask for anything better’.
The Malcolm in the Middle star wants to ‘earn respect’ of competitors
However, the former child star is aware that there are some folks out there who can’t see past his work on TV and film.
“I know I have to prove myself here,” he told FOX Sports.
“Last year, I didn’t have the opportunity to do that. Not that this fully does that. This is great. This is a step. Hopefully, I earn respect.
“I’m in the Ford technical meeting with the other drivers, and even though we’re teammates I still don’t think they know what I can do.
“So I want to earn their respect too, and the only way to do that is to do it on the track.”
The truck series is made up of 25 races held between now and early November – so it seems it’ll be a busy year for Muniz who is also gearing up to film a Malcolm in the Middle reunion show around his racing commitments.
With a background in both local and national press in the UK, Claire moved to New Zealand before joining the editorial team at Supercar Blondie in May 2024. As a Senior Content Writer working on New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), Claire was the first writer on the team to make the site’s output a slick 24/7 operation covering the latest in automotive news.
