Drivers aren’t usually that thrilled about finishing in the top 10 of a race. Victories and podiums matter more, after all. While finishing among the top racers would be commendable, they would still hope and wish deep inside that they had done better. Frankie Muniz had no such if and buts playing in his mind after he finished 10th in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona.
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Well, he had a valid reason. It was the best result of his career. The 39-year-old former Hollywood star drives the No. 33 Ford F-150 for Reaume Brothers Racing this year. He originally finished the season-opener at Daytona in 11th place, but when race winner Parker Kligerman was disqualified, he moved a spot up.
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, he spoke about how surreal it was after the race. Especially after his idol, Jeff Gordon, gave him kudos for the result.
“I stayed in Daytona for Saturday and Sunday. Sunday for the [Daytona] 500,” said Muniz. “We were walking on the grid and the amount of Cup drivers and, you know, Jeff Gordon and everybody… Came up to me, and they obviously knew the result, and they’re like, ‘Oh, Congrats’! It felt really good to be, I don’t know, just to have a positive result.”
Getting praise from the best drivers in the sport meant a huge deal to Muniz, particularly after a trying 2024 season. Last year, Muniz ran an eight-race schedule over ARCA, Trucks, and Xfinity.
Muniz added that the result was vindication of the hard work put in by his No. 33 team. Of course, the highlight for him was hearing congratulatory words from Gordon.
How Muniz became a big Gordon fan
Muniz was one of Hollywood’s most bankable teens once. He played the titular character in the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle and gained huge recognition. As a young boy, he was a big fan of the former Nationwide Series driver David Green. The attraction came from the Slim Jim car that Green piloted.
However, when he was around 10 years old, Muniz got the chance to share screen space with Gordon in the ABC sitcom, Spin City. This experience made him switch sides to become a devoted Gordon fan.
“I played a sick kid in the hospital, and he came in saying how he was going to win these races for me, and it was a funny skit,” Muniz revealed in an episode of Dale Jr. Download last year.
“I met him when I was maybe 10 or 11. I don’t know if I am allowed to say that in this building, but I became a big Jeff Gordon fan because he was always nice to me,” he added.
From being enamored with the four-time Cup Series champion as a child actor to being appreciated by him as a NASCAR driver, Muniz’s journey has been remarkable. Of course, he has every right to celebrate the moment and what made it possible — the 10th place at Daytona.
