“Malcolm in the Middle” actor Frankie Muniz announced he’s making a major pivot in his career.
The former actor is shifting gears from Hollywood to the race track as a full-time NASCAR driver, according to a recent interview with People published Oct. 22. The 38-year-old started racing in 2004 and began his professional racecar driving career in 2006. He’ll be racing full-time for Reaume Brothers Racing in the No. 33 F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ 2025 season.
“I don’t want to say it’s a long time coming, but this has been a dream of mine for forever,” he said to People.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 07: Frankie Muniz attends Disney ABC Television Hosts TCA Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic) Getty Images
Muniz explained how his adventures behind the wheel have evolved into a new career path.
“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,” he told People.
“I was a huge fan, but it’s not something I necessarily thought that I’d ever get the opportunity to do,” Muniz said.
Muniz has already made quite a name for himself on the circuit. He raced in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series with one top-five finish and 11 top-ten finishes, which landed him in a fourth-place points finish at season’s close, according to the outlet.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 17: Frankie Muniz, driver of the #35 Ford Performance Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
He joined Ford Performance last year and raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Mustang Challenge Series, People reported.
Muniz said racing in a NASCAR series full-time is “really exciting,” but admits he feels he still has “a lot to prove to myself and to everybody.”
Speaking with passion he said, “I want people to know that I’ve literally dedicated my life to this.”
“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,” he said.
“Watching tape, watching past races at the racetracks I’m going to just to be as prepared as humanly possible,” he told People. (RELATED: ‘Would Have Made Me A Movie Star’: David Schwimmer Reveals He Turned Down ‘Men In Black’ Role)
Muniz says “closing the door” on his career as an actor was not a “topic of discussion,” but for now he’s “focusing on being a race car driver.”
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
