‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Alum Frankie Muniz Goes for Full-Time NASCAR Racing

Frankie Muniz is ramping up his racing career: The “Malcolm in the Middle” alum has landed another full-time gig competing in NASCAR events.

The TV star is ready to drive the Ford F-150 #33 in every 2025 race of the motorsports league’s Craftsman Truck Series, Reaume Brothers Racing and Ford Performance announced Tuesday. The 38-year-old said he was “incredibly excited” to join the team full-time next year.

“My long-standing relationship with Ford has been a game-changer, and I am excited to help facilitate additional support allowing us to leverage their exceptional technical and engineering resources,” Muniz said in a statement Tuesday. statement. “I am confident that this synergy will elevate Reaume Brothers Racing and help us achieve great things together. I can’t wait to get started.”

The “Agent Cody Banks” actor has driven twice with Reaume Brothers Racing this season and has two races remaining. Team owner Josh Reaume, who wants to expand the team’s relationship with Ford Performance, said they “can make significant progress in the upcoming season” thanks to Muniz’s passion and the collective momentum of the team.

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Muniz is scheduled to compete next in the stock car racing league on Saturday, driving the No. 22 More Core Diamond Drilling Services Ford in the Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

The former child star began acting at age 8 and starred opposite Bryan Cranston in the Primetime Emmy-winning series “Malcolm in the Middle” in the early 2000s. in 2006 when he decided to pursue a career as a professional racing driver instead, he competed in the Formula BMW USA championship that year and the Champ Car Atlantic championship from 2007 to 2009. But in 2009, after placing fourth in the championship standings, an injury abruptly ended in his season with two races to go.

After competing in celebrity races throughout his career, Muniz began racing full-time last year in the ARCA Menards Series, a lower-level series for NASCAR that typically features less experienced drivers. He joined Ford Performance in 2023 and competed in limited races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Mustang Challenge Series.

In June 2023, it crashed his Ford Mustang into the wall at Elko Speedway in Minnesota, but escaped unscathed, finishing the year with a fourth-place finish in the points. In his Xfinity Series debut in February, it was part of a 10 car accident and placed 33rd of 38 at Daytona International Speedway.

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During this time, he continued to do some acting, largely booking minor roles and making occasional appearances, including those on the AMC thriller series The Little One.Preacher,” the NBC medical drama “New Amsterdam” and Comedy Central’s “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens.”

He also said he was excited about the possibility of a “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot. In March, he revealed that the potential project was “the closest it has ever come to a reality.”

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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.