Frankie Muniz to return to NASCAR racing in 2026
Although he believed his racing career was over after the 2025 season, actor-turned-racer Frankie Muniz will return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for another season in 2026.
“I thought I was done. I really did. Hung up the helmet, said “that’s a wrap” on racing. Then, I realized I’ve still got way too much unfinished business on track,” he said.
Muniz will race Team Reaume’s No. 33 Ford F-150 full-time again. He’s hoping to rebound from missing four races late last season due to an injury.
Trucks aren’t the only thing Muniz will race in 2026. He will also race full-time in the SRO GT4 America Series in a Ford Mustang GT4. He will race with Techsport Racing and share driving duties with Tyler Stone.
“We’re hunting podiums and we’re not asking nicely. Thrilled to have For the People and Aerial Titans back on board as well as many soon-to-be-announced new partners,” Muniz said on social media.
Muniz stated they’re still looking for more partners. He highlighted his 38 races and a reboot of “Malcolm in the Middle” in the upcoming year.
“Busiest, craziest, most fun year of my life so far. I’m not just back… I’m all in. 2026, let’s gooooo,” he said.
Now 40 years old and away from Hollywood, Muniz summed up his life as just beginning.
“I’ve got the best little family, the fastest chapter of my racing career ahead and a hunger I haven’t felt since I was that kid begging for one more take,” Muniz said.
“This isn’t the finish line. This is engines on, green flag dropping.”
Muniz is following in the footsteps of other actor-turned-race car drivers, such as Paul Newman, Patrick Dempsey and Steve McQueen.
Muniz is entering his fourth season in stock car racing. In 2023, he kicked it off with a full season in the ARCA Menards Series.
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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