“I wanna be the best race car driver” - Frankie Muniz tells Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez about his NASCAR ambitions during Xfinity race

Hollywood celebrity turned NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz made his second Xfinity start at Phoenix Raceway, piloting the #35 Ford for Joey Gase Motorsports and cherished his time competing with the talented pool in the second-tier series.

In the buildup to the race, Cup Series drivers Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez and broadcaster Jamie Little radioed Muniz from the Fox booth. The #35 Ford driver elaborated on his approach to his second Xfinity outing and reflected on his unconventional career switch into stock car racing.

After wrapping up his time in the ARCA Menards series, where he secured a respectable fourth-place finish in the 2023 standings, Muniz took a moment to look back on his journey over the past year. The 38-year-old described it as an eventful ride to get an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

He told Logano and Suarez:

"To be honest I'm just kind of thinking that my life is crazy right now, like I can't believe I'm here. I'm thrilled I made the race. I'm so excited. I'm here to learn, I want to run all the laps."

Drawing an analogy from golf, the 'Malcolm in the Middle' star said that racing with the Xfinity drivers will help him hone his skills to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming the "best race car driver."

"I treat this to be like playing golf, if you want to golf the best, you play with better golfers than you. I wanna be the best race car driver, so I'm here racing with the best race car drivers and hopefully I do ok," Frankie Muniz said.

Frankie Muniz completed three-quarters of the race distance at Phoenix, but his #35 Ford suffered from excessive vibrations and retired on lap 156, resulting in him being classified 30th.

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Frankie Muniz compares his transition to Xfinity Series to starting at a new school

The Hollywood celebrity raced full-time in the ARCA Menards Series last year and has now stepped up to NASCAR's top three National series, making his debut at the Xfinity level.

As Frankie Muniz found himself in the Xfinity garage, he compared the feeling to that of joining a new school, an experience filled with plenty of anticipation and excitement, coupled with the unfamiliarity of his surroundings.

Before his debut outing at Daytona, Muniz told the Associated Press:

"The only thing I can compare it to is like going to a new school. You can feel like you’re the man in one school and you go to that new school you’re like, ‘I don’t know anybody. Are people going to welcome me here?’ I have a little bit of that feeling. Like even walking in the garage, I don’t know if people accept me there yet."

Muniz's maiden outing at the Xfinity Series ended prematurely, as he had to retire early in the race after being involved in a multi-car wreck.