Frankie Muniz reveals wild career switch as Malcolm in the Middle star puts acting on hold

Frankie Muniz, the puerility prima of deed bid Malcolm successful the Middle, is becoming a NASCAR racer astatine the property of 38.

He is joining Reaume Brothers Racing arsenic a full-time operator for the 2025 play of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The actor, who besides featured successful the Cody Banks movie series, has been a nonrecreational racer since 2006. 

Speaking to PEOPLE, Muniz said of the daze move: 'I don't privation to accidental it's a agelong clip coming, but this has been a imagination of excavation for forever.

'I started with doing the unfastened instrumentality route. I thought I was going to spell IndyCar, benignant of the Formula 1 route, but I ever had successful the backmost of my caput that I wanted to effort NASCAR. 

'I wanted to bash it. I grew up watching NASCAR. I was a immense fan, but it's not thing I needfully thought that I'd ever get the accidental to do. I privation radical to cognize that I've virtually dedicated my beingness to this.

'When I'm not successful the contention car, I'm reasoning astir being successful the contention car. I'm training, I'm successful the simulator astatine Ford, the Ford Performance Technical Center. I'm moving with my engineers and my unit chiefs and the squad and doing everything I can.'

In 2023, Muniz competed successful the ARCA Menards Series, finishing 4th astatine the extremity of the play with 1 top-five decorativeness and 11 top-10s.

Muniz accepted that helium is inactive champion known for his Malcolm successful the Middle relation and hasn't closed the doorway connected acting again successful the aboriginal - but racing is his No. 1 absorption for the clip being.

'The kid from Malcolm successful the Middle is racing successful NASCAR. You cognize what I mean? And that's what radical say, but I am. I did it.

'I don't privation to conscionable person made it to NASCAR — I want, erstwhile radical deliberation of the motortruck series, they deliberation of NASCAR that they deliberation of, oh, 'I privation to ticker Frankie. He's competitive." So I'm doing everything I can.'

Muniz's play begins connected February 14 astatine Daytona Beach successful Florida, meaning helium has astir 4 months to hole for his debut race. 

Speaking to FOX, Muniz said: 'Making the leap to the motortruck series, it's a full different level.

'36 trucks commencement the contention and each 36 drivers are really, truly good. So if I americium going to bash this, I privation to dedicate myself to it. You can't enactment connected the side.'

Malcolm successful the Middle ran for 7 seasons from 2000 until 2006 and inactive contiguous is regarded arsenic a classical sitcom. Muniz played Malcolm, a kid genius with an IQ of 165 increasing up successful a dysfunctional household arsenic 1 of 4 brothers.

Malcolm's dad, Hal, was played by Bryan Cranston, who is champion known for his relation arsenic Walter White successful Breaking Bad.

In 2012, Muniz was hospitalized with what was aboriginal diagnosed with a mini stroke. He has spoken antecedently astir struggling with representation nonaccomplishment owed to aggregate concussions arsenic a teenager.