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Frankie Muniz announces first ARCA Menards Series starts since battling serious illness

JHby:Jonathan Howard•08/15/24•

Jondean25

Frankie Muniz
Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

For the first time since this June, Frankie Muniz is racing a stock car again. He will line up for the ARCA Menards Series at Michigan. Teaming up with Reaume Brothers Racing, who he raced for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Nashville, Muniz is hoping for a strong result.

Last season with Rette Jones Racing, Muniz earned his first and only career top-5 in the ARCA Menards Series. Muniz finished 4th overall in the points standings last season in ARCA and has taken on a more part-time schedule for 2024.

Earlier this summer, Frankie Muniz noted that he had been battling a parasite. It was a rather serious illness that kept him in and out of the emergency room and doctors’ offices. Now he’s ready to get back to racing.

The No. 33 Vyper Industrial Ford Mustang is going to look awesome out on the track. Hopefully, Muniz is able to race it into the front of the field.

Frankie Muniz has 12 top-10 finishes in his career in the ARCA Menards Series. He showed flashes of skill in his full-time season last year. The second half of the season was filled with mechanical problems that resulted in five DNFs in the final eight races.

Of course, at 38 years old it is hard to get the seat time that Muniz needs to improve. He’s an older driver with not a lot of experience compared to others. Still, he has shown a knack for car control that I think is underrated and has a passion for the sport you can’t fake.

Frankie Muniz looking for his place in NASCAR

This season, Frankie has made starts in the Xfinity Series as well as Craftsman Truck Series. However, he has had to do a lot of learning in those races. It’s a completely different game than ARCA in the three national series.

I have to admire the task that Muniz is undertaking. To try and make a change in career at this point in his life, it’s really awesome to see. Of course, he is still an actor. But he has taken this racing thing very seriously.

The best part, he hasn’t used his fame and money to force himself into a car that is above his head. Honestly, being in these cars and trucks that aren’t the best will help him learn racecraft and all the little things. He doesn’t need to be in a Joe Gibbs or JR Motorsports car or anything like that at this moment.

Frankie Muniz is going racing tomorrow night at Michigan International Speedway. Can he improve on his career-best that happened at this track a year prior?