There may well be a reboot on the horizon for actor Frankie Muniz, just one aptly titled “Malcolm in the Middle of a Pileup.”
Muniz, who starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Agent Cody Banks,” declared this 7 days that he’s competing as a entire-time race auto driver in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s a lower-level feeder collection for NASCAR — a person that generally capabilities significantly less-knowledgeable drivers — and will provide as a starting up place for Muniz’s stock-automobile occupation.
The 37-calendar year-previous Muniz acquired driving the wheel of the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing during a check session Friday at Daytona International Speedway and mentioned, “I desired this my full lifetime.”
His initial of 20 scheduled races in 2023 will occur at Daytona on Feb. 18.
“I want to confirm to people today that like I’m listed here to choose it seriously,” Muniz claimed all through a half-hour Zoom with reporters. “I’m not just in this article for a fluke. I’m not just here for publicity. I wished this my whole lifetime, you know what I imply?
“I’m mad I waited 12 decades after my final racing experience to get listed here. I want people today to appear at me and see me on track and go, ‘Wow, he belongs,’ and I’m prepared to verify to anyone that I do. Hopefully I do.”
A longtime racing enthusiast, Muniz drove the rate vehicle for the 2001 Daytona 500 — a race in which 7-time Cup Series winner Dale Earnhardt was killed on the closing lap. Coincidentally, the chassis of the auto Muniz is scheduled to generate at Daytona in the ARCA period opener was pushed by Sterling Marlin that fateful working day far more than two decades in the past.
Muniz said Earnhardt signed his jacket prior to the race and even advised him how significantly he liked “Malcolm in the Middle.”
“He claimed, ‘Your clearly show has introduced me and my daughter so a great deal closer jointly. I appreciate your present,’” Muniz recalled. “And it was like crazy to me that Dale Earnhardt is telling me that.”
Muniz has lengthy been a racing fanatic and initially begun imagining about turning into a qualified driver in 2004 immediately after competing in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach front, California. He’s also raced in Formulation BMW situations as very well as the Champ Auto Atlantic Series.
His previous complete-time year came in 2009. He reported he broke his back again, broke an ankle and had a pin inserted into his hand pursuing a crash. He has raced sporadically due to the fact.
As an alternative of having again in a race automobile promptly, he turned drummer of the indie rock band Kingsfoil. Additional not too long ago, he married Paige Cost and they experienced a son in 2021.
“I just took for a longer period to recover than I thought,” Muniz mentioned. “Not that you have to basically start about, but I skipped an entire year and I acquired an prospect to be in a band. I know that seems outrageous. I was touring the environment playing drums, so a great deal of issues just sort of took around my lifetime and I dove in 100%.
“I’ve always imagined in the back again of my thoughts I was going to go again racing. As the a long time have absent on, it felt further and more absent. So when I experienced my son 19 months in the past, it honestly produced me go, ‘What am I? Who am I? Who do I want to be to my son or what I want him to see me carrying out?’”
Muniz decided he desired to race once more.
“That’s what I’ve usually explained I felt like I was the most cozy undertaking. … Realistically I’m previous to be obtaining started out in the racing environment,” he explained. “But in that exact sense, it motivates me that I’ve acquired to choose edge of the option I have currently.
“I never have time to hold out. So ideally that will help the development, go a tiny more quickly simply because I have the motivation. I’m in the ideal attitude.”
He expects a good deal of “Malcolm in the Middle” jokes through races, so much so that he’s thinking about generating T-shirts to offer at gatherings.
“I’m going to capitalize on that right before another person else does,” he reported.
