Former ‘Malcolm In The Middle’ star Frankie Muniz to race in NASCAR

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Former ‘Malcolm In The Middle’ star Frankie Muniz was a well-known resident here in the Valley, but now he’ll be spending this year on the road. Muniz will run a full schedule in the NASCAR ARCA series in 2023.

There have been several examples over the years of entertainers trying to become athletes and athletes making a move to entertainers. Some include Shaquille O’Neal rapping and Garth Brooks playing in MLB spring training. However, Muniz is the latest entertainer to make the switch.

The actor will attempt to become a professional race car driver this season. He’ll drive on the ARCA circuit, where many top drivers started their careers. The 37-year-old will compete with teenagers trying to make a run at their dream just like him.

Muniz knows it won’t be easy, but he is committed to putting all he has into the next phase of his professional life. His first race will be at Daytona Raceway in February. “I want to be a race car driver. I want people to think of me, you know obviously, I have my past and people may know me as being an actor and whatever else I’ve done in the past, but I want people to think of me as a race car driver,” he explained. “You think of Paul Newman as a race car driver, you think of him as an actor, you think of him as having amazing salad dressing. Those are all cool things. But so in that sense, if I can be successful as a race car driver, people will take me seriously as a race car driver, not necessarily having that actor/race car driver title; that would be pretty cool for me.”

Muniz will drive in Phoenix when NASCAR rolls into town in March. He’s not the first actor to try racing. Steve McQueen, Patrick Dempsey and Paul Newman all got behind the wheel of a race car, but Muniz is hoping to become the best one to do it.

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