Unlike IndyCar or Formula 1, where deliberate contact can lead to penalties or suspensions, stock car racing embraces it as fair game when making a move or defending a pass. This has caught many by surprise, especially those transitioning from open-wheel racing, including actor-turned-driver Frankie Muniz.
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Blocking, nudging the bumper, pushing rivals toward the wall, and even wrecking are all part of the NASCAR playbook. Legends like Dale Earnhardt and stars such as Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, and Carson Hocevar have all leaned on those tactics to achieve success. Muniz, however, had no idea the sport allowed drivers to make such aggressive maneuvers.
On Joe Vulpis’ podcast, Muniz, who first rose to prominence in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, explained how the shift to NASCAR forced him to adapt to a much rougher style than what he knew from open-wheel racing.
Muniz recalled an eye-opening moment at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), where he asked the Truck Series director if there were rules against blocking, since he hadn’t heard any mentioned in the pre-race meeting. The response floored him. There were none.
“That was a big wakeup call this year,” Muniz said. “Even though I’ve been racing for years, like the type of I used to do more open wheel racing, Indycar racing, stuff like that, which you can’t touch each other. NASCAR is a full-contact sport, and they will push you out of the way… They don’t care if they wreck you…. But like they’re doing whatever they have to do to win, and there’s no rules saying they can’t.”
Muniz contrasted it with Formula 1, where even the smallest of contacts can lead to extremely harsh penalties. “In NASCAR, it’s almost like celebrated… I remember we were racing the first road course this year, and I went up to the series director and I was like, ‘Hey, I didn’t see anything in the driver video if there was a rule about blocking.’ He’s like, ‘We don’t have a block. We’re not stupid F1. You can do whatever you want,'” he added.
Frankie Muniz was on Joe Vulpis’ podcast and talked a bit about his NASCAR career. He revealed that he’s had to learn and adapt to racing more physically/aggressively compared to what he was used to in open wheel.
Muniz shared a story from COTA where he asked the Truck Series… pic.twitter.com/uFWQL8y87o
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) September 5, 2025
Breaking down the nuance, Muniz explained that it’s a skill to move someone without outright wrecking them. A slight tap to the right rear under braking can make a car lose grip and drift up the track, opening the door for the trailing driver to slip underneath. The move might spark tempers and even retaliation, but more often than not, it secures the position.
As the #33 Reaume Brothers Racing driver summed it up, in NASCAR, it’s not about whether the drivers move someone, it’s about knowing how to do it the right way so that the other driver does not get wrecked badly or injured in the process.
