A familiar face is returning to the ARCA Menards Series for Friday’s Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
Frankie Muniz, who finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship point standings last year, will make his second start of 2024 after placing ninth at Talladega Superspeedway in April. Driving the No. 33 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing, Muniz is determined to improve upon a career-best run of fifth he obtained during his first visit to Michigan.
Originally known for his starring role in ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ Muniz developed a passion for auto racing after competing in the 2004 Toyota/Pro Celebrity Race. He became a full-time driver in the Atlantic Championship Series during the late 2000s, but injuries forced Muniz to take a prolonged sabbatical from motorsports.
When Muniz elected to return to the driver’s seat, he chose to focus on stock cars. Select Pro Late Model appearances during the early 2020s and an opportunity to take part in the ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway resulted in Muniz putting together a deal to compete for Rette Jones Racing full-time in 2023.
Muniz’ rookie ARCA Menards Series campaign started with promise, as he finished 11th at Daytona and recorded seven top 10s over the following eight races. Despite this, misfortune followed Muniz during the back half of 2023, which included three consecutive races that ended prematurely due to a crash.
On-track appearances for Muniz in 2024 have not been as frequent, but he is working diligently to stay involved in NASCAR. He competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series opener at Daytona and formed a partnership with Reaume’s operation that included his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway.
The speed Reaume’s ARCA Menards Series cars have shown in limited starts has Muniz optimistic ahead of Friday evening. With Lawless Alan behind the wheel, Reaume’s No. 33 was a regular factor inside the top 10, with an eighth place at Charlotte Motor Speedway being the program’s best run to date.
Michigan gave Muniz his best opportunity at a victory in 2023. A similar performance on the two-mile oval this weekend could help Muniz obtain crucial momentum to close out the year and prepare for 2025.
Muniz’s pursuit of another top-five finish at Michigan begins Friday when the green flag for the Henry Ford Health 200 waves at 6 p.m. ET. FS1 will provide live flag-to-flag coverage.
(Photo: Gunnar Word/ARCA Racing)