“I’ve got a few options”: Actor-turned-racer Frankie Muniz weighs in on his 2026 NASCAR plans

Frankie Muniz has officially confirmed that he’ll return to racing in 2026, though details about his next move remain under wraps. The actor-turned-driver hasn’t revealed which series or team he’ll compete with, but noted that his comeback will once again be with Ford.

Muniz, the child actor in Malcolm in the Middle, is currently in his rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the #33 Reaume Brothers Racing Ford, he has only one top-10 finish scored in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

In a pre-race interview at Talladega Superspeedway, Muniz, who missed the last four races due to an injury, shared his plans for 2026, saying (via Frontstretch):

“Oh yeah, 100%, I’ll be racing something for sure. Yeah, we’ll see. I can’t say too much.”

“I’ve got a few options right now in different series, and just being honest, obviously, [I will] continue my relationship with Ford. I take the direction they want to push me in, I’ll go. We’re discussing it all right now.”

He concluded:

“But yeah, I’ve got some options, and we’ll see what happens. But I would like to drive a truck again, so we’ll see.”

Frankie Muniz drives the #33 Ford F-150 for Reaume Brothers Racing - Source: Imagn

Before his NASCAR rookie campaign, Frankie Muniz ran a full-time schedule with Rette Jones Racing in 2023. He had more success in that series, scoring one top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes, enough to rank fourth in the points standings.

---

“I think I'm better than that”: Frankie Muniz on his return to NASCAR racing

Frankie Muniz remained optimistic about his season despite missing four races due to injury. Although his name currently sits near the bottom of the standings, he believes both he and his #33 Reaume Brothers Racing team are better than what the numbers suggest.

Muniz, who left showbiz in 2008 to pursue a racing career, told Fox Sports:

“All people end up seeing is like, your name at the at the bottom of the leaderboard. I think the team is better than that. I think I'm better than that. And I just want to show that.”

He also aims to have “smooth weekends” after recording seven DNFs, adding:

“Even for me, from a confidence standpoint, we’re 22 races in, and when you have so many negative things happen, it makes you like question if you're doing things wrong. I just want to have some smooth weekends.”

As of posting, Frankie Muniz sits in 25th in the standings, making him the least-ranked full-time driver in the NASCAR Truck Series. His closest full-time competitor is fellow rookie Toni Breidinger, who has yet to score her first top-10 finish of the season.

With an underwhelming season on paper, Muniz hasn't qualified for the playoffs. The pickup truck-based series currently holds the Round of 8 with Corey Heim leading the playoff standings. Tyler Ankrum sits in second ahead of Daniel Hemric and Rajah Caruth. The drivers below the cutline are Layne Riggs, Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, and Kaden Honeycutt.