Frankie Muniz gives black and white reason why race car driving is more fulfilling than being Hollywood star
The "Malcolm in the Middle" star told Fox News Digital how he made the switch from Hollywood actor to race car driver, and why he chooses not to do anything halfway.
Frankie Muniz is staying positive after limping away from a multi-vehicle crash during a NASCAR race on Friday.
The 38-year-old actor turned professional race car driver was involved in a wreck on the Phoenix Raceway while competing in the Craftsman Truck Series Championship in Avondale, Arizona.
In the aftermath of the crash, sports reporter Noah Lewis shared a video of Muniz in which the "Malcom in the Middle" alum was seen limping and bending over while being assisted into an ambulance on the track. In his post on X, formerly Twitter, Lewis wrote that Muniz had taken a "hard hit."
After the race, Muniz told reporters that he was "OK," adding that the crash was "unfortunate."
"I felt like I got a good opportunity to run with some guys," Muniz said in a clip that was shared on X.
Frankie Muniz limped away from a multi-truck during a NASCAR race on Friday. (Getty)
He continued, "I made some passes. Lost a few spots on restarts, then went back out and passed them again. So it was good for me to figure out how to get by people. You know, I haven’t really gotten to do that much this year so that was really positive."
"And then we just wanted to keep going, I wanted to keep running. But there was nowhere for me to go and I got hit from behind," Muniz explained. "I got hit from behind into the 42 and then the 42 got moved and the 18 was right there stopped and I went right into him. But I don’t feel like there was anything I could have done there. That was a luck situation of getting through it, but it’s unfortunate."
However, Muniz said he was already looking ahead to the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, in which he will compete as the full-time driver of the No. 33 Ford F-150 with the Reaume Brothers Racing team.
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This season, he joined Reaume Brothers for several races as the driver of the No. 27 F-150.
"I’m so grateful for my team," Muniz said. "And I’m so excited for next season. This year wasn’t what we had hoped, but this proved that I can race with guys, I can pass here. We’re gonna be better next year, and I’ve got the whole off-season to prepare. We’re gonna go get it."
During an appearance "Fox & Friends" last month, Muniz shared his excitement over being promoted to a full-time driver for next year's season.
Muniz later shared that he was "OK" after the "unfortunate" wreck. ( Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
"I can't believe it, it's a dream come true," he said. "It's something that I've always wanted to do, and the fact that I actually get to announce that I'm doing it full-time next year, I'm thrilled. I can't wait."
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He also shared, "If I'm going to do this, I want to dedicate myself to it 100 percent … doing everything I can to be prepared for the races and to be the best race car driver I can be."
When Muniz was asked about putting acting on hold to focus on racing, he admitted, "I wouldn't say it was a hard decision."
The "Malcolm in the Middle" alum will compete as a full-time driver in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, (Getty Images)
"This is something that I've been working toward for literally 20 years since I started racing, when I did my first race," he said, explaining that "the feeling of crossing the finish line first" for the first time has been a feeling he's been "chasing" ever since.
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"If you want to be really, really good at anything, you've got to dedicate yourself to it, and that's what I'm doing. I hope my performance proves that on the race track, and we can go and hopefully get Top 10s and Top 5s and hopefully win races next year."
Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
