You aren't star-struck. Yes, that's Frankie Muniz getting ready to strap into a NASCAR Craftsman Truck. Maybe you think it's for some new project or role in a film. You're wrong. He's about to start his first full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Boy, has the child-star famous for roles such as Agent Cody Banks and Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle come a long way. Oh, you're too young to remember those characters? Boy, does that make me feel old; Malcolm in the Middle finished in 2006.
Well, some of Frankie's fellow racers aren't old enough to remember the show either, or even many of his movies. That has to hit home for plenty of people. It certainly just means we are all getting older.
Why the change from acting to racing?
Sure, Muniz hasn't been in any major projects in the last decade-plus, but even while he hasn't had the Hollywood spotlight on him, he's had NASCAR on his mind.
Just two years ago, he embarked on a full ARCA Menards Series schedule. He was pretty impressive in that campaign, starting all 20 races and finishing with 11 top 10 finishes.
He certainly showed his biggest strength at the bigger tracks in the series, including Daytona International Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. The race at Michigan also marked the best finish of his career, as he came home in fifth place.
The strong campaign saw him finish fourth in the point standings, which led to a very adventurous 2024. He made a handful of starts across three different series in NASCAR last year, including three in the Xfinity Series. He also made four Truck Series starts for Reaume Brothers Racing, the team for which he is set to compete full-time behind the wheel of the No. 33 Ford this year.
Do his Truck competitors actually know his story?
With the season-opening race at Daytona quickly approaching, the Truck Series drivers took to the NASCAR Media Center at the track to talk with reporters about the upcoming season and their expectations.
When Muniz sat down with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, an interesting segment came up. Pockrass asked Muniz about whether or not the younger drivers in the series actually know about his acting past.
Muniz predicted that not many know or are aware of his role in Malcolm in the Middle, because many probably weren't even born or were babies when the show ended.
"That's an interesting question, because most of the kids I'm racing against weren't alive when the show ended," Muniz said. "It ended in 2006, so they could be 18 or 19 and they weren't even born yet."Frankie Muniz, via Bob Pockrass
That interview sure made for some interesting responses from his fellow competitors, young and old. Longtime Truck Series veteran and three-time series champion Matt Crafton gave an answer that not even he knew anything about the show or much of Muniz's film work.
Most are excited to share the track with Frankie, despite not knowing who Malcolm in the Middle is. How he does this season will certainly be interesting to watch. That, and the fact he's currently working on a new Malcolm in the Middle reboot all these years later. He's one busy dude.