Malcolm in the Middle’s Frankie Muniz gets 100% real after Rockingham struggles

Frankie Muniz, the actor turned full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, delivered a raw and honest message following a frustrating weekend at Rockingham Speedway. The Reaume Brothers Racing rookie endured another mechanical failure that left him laps down and physically worn out.

The Black’s Tire 200 on April 18 was a continuation of what's been a difficult stretch on track for the former actor. In the wake of that, Muniz shared a message on social media.

"If I'm being 100% honest... Mentally/emotionally I may be at a new low. Just wanted to say it out loud."

The post came two days after Muniz's disappointing outing in the Black's Tire 200 at the Rockingham Speedway. The 0.94 mile oval was once a staple of NASCAR’s premier series and was recently revived to host Xfinity and Truck races on Easter weekend.

Racing the No. 33 Ford for Reaume Brothers Racing, Muniz started 30th but quickly ran into trouble. With two laps to go in Stage 1, he suffered a power steering failure that made the truck nearly undrivable. He fought through the issue, injuring his hand in the process before finally pitting under green during Stage 2.

The repair cost him over 16 laps, as he explained to Peter Stratta after the race:

"With like two to go in the first stage, we had a power steering line burst. I just lost all power steering, ripped a hole in my hand just trying to hold on to it. But, then we started the second stage with it like that. That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. So, we came down we lost like 16-17 laps under under green trying to fix the line." (2:19 onwards)

Despite the setback, the team managed to fix the issue and send him back out. He also thanked his #33 team, but by the point he returned in Lap 77 he was 12 laps down. Muniz soldiered on, ultimately finishing 23rd in the 35-truck field, salvaging what he could from the race. Tyler Ankrum got his first win of the season.

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Rockingham heartbreak adds to the challenging start for Frankie Muniz in the Truck Series

Frankie Muniz during practice for the Black's Tire 200 at Rockingham. Source: Getty

Frankie Muniz’s rookie season in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series remains a work in progress so far. The Rockingham setback follows tough results at Martinsville (33rd) and Bristol (31st), where Muniz struggled with similar issues and retired early.

However, he remains optimistic about his performance relative to the field, especially when running clean laps and being able to finish races.

"I think the truck was really good. I really think if we didn't have that issue we could have been in the top 15... When I would run laps like if I would try, we were just as quick as the fast guys. So, I think that's a testament to us, as a team," Frankie Muniz added (via Peter Stratta). (2:41 onwards)

While he may be far from contending for wins, Muniz has consistently shown flashes of pace. His season-best result remains a 10th-place finish at Daytona, a strong debut that now stands in contrast to his recent struggles.

However, with nearly a third of the Truck Series season complete, the team still sees potential in Frankie Muniz. He currently stands 24th in the standings with 88 points after seven races.