HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Frankie Muniz finished 33rd Saturday in his first Truck Series race since the “Malcolm in the Middle” star announced he would become a full-time NASCAR driver next season.
Muniz, 38, recently transitioned from part-time to full driver behind the wheel of the No. 33 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing. He made two starts for Reaume Brothers this season in the Truck Series.
Muniz said he was confident in his team’s ability to achieve success in this series, but Saturday’s race was marred by mechanical problems with his Toyota. He qualified 31st out of 34 cars.
He has competed twice this season in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series, including opening at Daytona International Speedway, and also participated in the ARCA seriesone of the lower rungs of the NASCAR fuel system.
Muniz said Friday his ultimate goal as a full-time driver is to win races.
“I want to be the best,” he said, “but in reality the series is difficult. There are a lot of good drivers and a lot of good teams, but I think if we could be consistently in the top 20 would be a huge achievement for us.
The former actor has been a car racing enthusiast for decades. Muniz drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500 – a race in which seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap.
CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger won the race – his second victory in a row.
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