Frankie Muniz to race ARCA full-time in 2023
Spotters will yell “Malcolm in the Middle” when they see Rette Jones Racing’s car in the middle three-wide in 2023, as Frankie Muniz will run their No. 30 Ford full-time in the ARCA Menards Series.
Muniz was named Wednesday to the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford. He will replace Amber Balcaen, who earned six top-10 finishes during her full-time, 20-race tenure in 2022.
While Muniz brings plenty of star power to the No. 30 Ford, he also brings a plethora of racing experience. In 2006, he raced in the Formula BMW USA series before racing three seasons in the Champ Car Atlantic Series.
In October 2021, Muniz made his stock car racing debut during an SRL Pro Late Model race at Kern County Raceway Park.
The actor-turned-racer was 3rd of 25 entrants in practice, then started 13th and finished 17th.
Last January, Muniz tested an ARCA car at Daytona with Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing.
Muniz also drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500, held on Feb. 18 that year. He witnessed the fatal crash that killed Dale Earnhardt, which the actor said greatly affected him as a fan.
22 years, to the date, after that fateful day, Muniz will again take to the high banks of Daytona for his ARCA Menards Series debut. The green flag is expected just after 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com