If you told someone 15 years ago that the star kid from “Malcolm in the Middle” would one day be racing in NASCAR, they’d probably laugh and call you crazy, but here we are. Frankie Muniz, one of Hollywood’s favorite teenage celebrities at a time, is now behind the wheel in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, racing full time for the Reaume Brothers Racing team, and he has not been able to catch a break this season.
After a string of bad luck, especially at Bristol and Martinsville, Muniz headed to Rockingham with a fresh mindset and a fast truck. He qualified 30th but was feeling confident, hoping to finally catch a break. For a while, it looked like things were clicking — the truck was running strong, and he was slowly working his way up the grid. But as luck would have it, disaster came knocking once again.
Disaster Strikes Again at Rockingham for Frankie Muniz
Midway through Stage 2, just as things were heating up, Muniz’s power steering line burst. In simpler terms, that’s like trying to steer a 3,400-pound beast with just the power of your bare hands. He was forced to make an emergency pit stop, and the repair cost him around 17 to 18 laps. With that, whatever hope he had for a strong finish vanished.
Now, most drivers would’ve thrown in the towel right there. But Muniz has got that fighting spirit in him. Even with partially bruised hands and a truck that clearly wasn’t cooperating, he stayed in the race. His new goal was to finish without getting in anyone’s way. After all, he didn’t want a repeat of Bristol, where he caused chaos for frontrunners Ty Majeski and Brandon Jones.
He pushed through the pain, lap after lap. Despite everything, he crossed the finish line in 23rd place. It wasn’t the comeback he was dreaming of, but considering the mess he was dealt, it was a quiet little victory of its own.
After the race, Muniz didn’t sugarcoat how hard it was. “I started the second stage with no power steering, like I ripped a hole in my hand. Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but then we just finally came down, had to change the line. I think we went down like 17 or 18 laps.”
He added, “So like it’s really hard to like be out there and like want to do competitive lap times when you’re already kind of out of the race, you’re kind of racing by yourself. So just trying to stay out of the way. You know it’s a shame because like this truck was actually, I think really good, really fast.”
Muniz’s racing journey hasn’t been easy. However, every lap he turns isn’t just about speed — it’s about heart. From Hollywood sets to pit lanes, he’s out there proving he belongs. And even though Rockingham threw everything at him, he walked away a little more battle-tested and still full of fight.
Muniz is not just a celebrity trying out a hobby; he’s a racer chasing a dream, and we’re all watching, rooting, and hoping the racing gods cut him a break soon.