The former child actor has raced sporadically this year across the Xfinity Series and Truck Series. Muniz has also made cameo appearances in the Mustang Challenge.
A year ago, Muniz raced full-time in the ARCA Menards Series where he scored a season-best fifth at Michigan International Speedway.
Muniz will race a Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing. The team has picked up support from Ford Performance too.
“I don’t want to say it’s a long time coming, but this has been a dream of mine for forever,” he told People.
“I started with doing the open wheel route. I thought I was going to go IndyCar, kind of the Formula 1 route, but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to try NASCAR.
“I wanted to do it. I grew up watching NASCAR. I was a huge fan, but it’s not something I necessarily thought that I’d ever get the opportunity to do.”
Muniz hopes he can continue acting while he pursues a career in racing.
#NASCAR | @frankiemuniz shares big news about his racing plans for next season! pic.twitter.com/a9xEfutEfb
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) October 22, 2024
The 39-year-old will have a 25-race schedule in 2025, which starts in mid-February.
“I want people to know that I’ve literally dedicated my life to this,” said Muniz.
“You know what I mean? I love it. When I’m not in the race car, I’m thinking about being in the race car. I’m training, I’m in the simulator at Ford, the Ford Performance Technical Center.
“I’m working with my engineers and my crew chiefs and the team and doing everything I can.
“Watching tape, watching past races at the race tracks I’m going to just to be as prepared as humanly possible.”
Although his time in Malcolm in the Middle is long in the rearview mirror, Muniz admits it’s still a selling point as he looks to build a fanbase.
“The kid from Malcolm in the Middle is racing in NASCAR. You know what I mean? And that’s what people say, but I am. I did it,” said Muniz.
“I don’t want to just have made it to NASCAR. I want, when people think of the Truck Series, they think of NASCAR that they think of ‘Oh, I want to watch Frankie. He’s competitive’, so I’m doing everything I can.”
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