He’s Back! Frankie Muniz Returns to Racing After Wrist Injury
Seven weeks. It’s not a lifetime, but for a race car driver, it can feel like an eternity. For Frankie Muniz, those seven weeks away from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series felt like a gut punch, a frustrating pause in a season already packed with hard lessons and bad luck. It wasn’t a wreck on the track that sidelined him, though.
It was a simple, everyday task gone wrong: a six-foot ladder, a Ring battery, and a patch of grass, a fall, a snap, and just like that, a broken wrist.”You live and learn,” Muniz said, a touch of weary acceptance in his voice. “I have to heed the warning where it says, ‘Do not stand on top step,’ especially when it’s in the grass. But I can’t blame anybody else except for my laziness to not go get a taller ladder out of my garage.”
The Incident That Started It All
That moment of frustration led to an unwelcome break, forcing Muniz to watch from the sidelines as the Reaume Brothers Racing team competed without him. It was a painful experience, not just because of the throbbing in his wrist, but because it meant watching his dream play out from a distance. The pain was sharp enough that he knew instantly it was broken. Surgery wasn’t needed, but time was. Four to eight weeks, the doctors said.
The competitor in him wanted to fight through it, but the realist knew better.”If I was competing for the championship, could I have fought through it? It would have been hard,” Muniz admitted. “I thought better to truly heal and then come back and not cause more damage and make it worse.”
What Muniz Learned from the Sidelines
Being out of the truck wasn’t a total loss, though. It offered Muniz a unique perspective he’d never had before. As a driver, you’re locked in your own world, a bubble of focus and radio chatter with your crew. But for four races, Muniz became a student of the sport in a new way. He tuned into other drivers’ radios, absorbing the rhythm of their communication and the details of their feedback.”I don’t get to tune into Layne Riggs’ radio and hear how he gives feedback and hear the conversations they have,” he explained.
“So it was cool from that aspect to watch and see what people are going through and how they handle it.”He also saw the raw intensity of truck racing from an outsider’s view. “I know the racing is intense because I’m in it, but a lot of the racing, I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s what it looks like when I’m out there? That’s pretty cool.'” It was a stark reminder of the wild, chaotic beauty of the sport he’s poured his heart into.
The Drive for a Strong Finish
Now, with his wrist healed, Muniz is back. His return couldn’t come at a more intimidating venue: the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway. It’s a place that demands respect, but it also holds a good memory for him—a career-best 10th-place finish at its sister track, Daytona, in the season opener. With just a few races left at Talladega, Martinsville, and Phoenix, the pressure is on to salvage something from this roller-coaster year.
This season has been a trial by fire for Muniz. He’s had moments of real promise, only to be taken out by circumstances beyond his control. It’s the kind of luck that can wear a driver down, making you question every move.”All people end up seeing is your name at the bottom of the leaderboard,” he said, the frustration evident. “I think the team is better than that. I think I’m better than that. And I just want to show that.
When you have so many negative things happen, it makes you question if you’re doing things wrong.” He’s not looking for a miracle win. He’s just looking for a clean race, a chance to prove what he and his team are capable of. “Hopefully things go smooth,” he wished aloud. “I feel like we deserve it as a team… I just hope it’s not that. If I’m 30th, and that’s where I’m at, fine, I can live with that.”
What’s Next for Frankie Muniz?
Even with the struggles of 2025, Muniz is already looking ahead. He confirmed his plans for 2026 are solidifying and an announcement should be coming soon. The goal is to put this year’s bad luck behind us for good.”This has been an adventurous year, for sure,” he reflected. “We’ve had a fair share of bad luck. But let’s just say, I’m hoping to get all the bad luck out of it this year. And hopefully next year we’ll have smooth sailing.”
And for the fans of his first career, there’s good news. Muniz mentioned he’s seen early cuts of the “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot and is excited. “People are going to love it.” But for now, the focus is singular: three more races, three more chances to end a tough year on a high note. Frankie Muniz is back in the driver’s seat, ready to finish what he started.
