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Actor turned NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz is returning to the track this weekend, the 38-year-old announced Tuesday. Muniz, who joins the Xfinity Series part-time this year, will compete at Phoenix Saturday. The race begins at 4:30 p.m. EST March 9.

Though Muniz announced earlier this year he planned to compete at Phoenix, it didn’t appear to be coming to fruition. Muniz wasn’t recorded on the original entry list. Instead, the No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports entry was scheduled to be driven by Joey Gase. However, Muniz’s announcement Tuesday suggests he will be taking over driving duties.

Muniz’s No. 35 is sponsored by The Hot Chick restaurant/arcade bar at Phoenix. Fans can apparently meet the driver at the Scottsdale business on Sunday. Muniz said, “You can party with me” alongside his Xfinity car, “hopefully with confetti and champagne on it from victory lane!”

The Phoenix race will serve as Muniz’s second start in the Xfinity Series after he competed in the season’s inaugural race at Daytona. Muniz said the team opted to drop to the back of the field to gain experience. However, he was involved in the “big one” on lap 37. The 10-car crash began ahead of Muniz’s Ford. He placed 33rd in the 38-car field.

Frankie Muniz at the 2023 ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona
Frankie Muniz | James Gilbert via Getty Images

The “Malcolm in the Middle” star has quickly ascended the stock car ranks. He compiled 11 top-10s and one top-five finish in 20 races in his rookie campaign in the ARCA Series last year. Muniz placed fourth in the 2023 season standings.

To note, Muniz’s spot in Saturday’s Phoenix race isn’t a guarantee. Thirty-eight spots are available with 39 cars on the initial entry list. As such, Muniz could have to qualify on speed or rely on a Joey Gase Motorsports provisional to make the field.

Muniz isn’t the only notable name in the entry list outside of Xfinity regulars.

Daytona 500 champion William Byron will drive the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports entry. Fellow Cup Series driver John Hunter Nemechek will drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Aric Almirola, who retired from full-time Cup Series racing last season, will again drive the No. 19 JGR Toyota. Almirola finished 12th in the March 2 Las Vegas race.

Two entries, the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet and the No. 23 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevy, had not announced their drivers for Phoenix race, as of Tuesday.

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Joe Parker

Joe Parker is an expert in new cars, trucks, and SUVs — particularly their driving dynamics, features, and real-world pragmatism — gleaning his first-hand perspectives through his testing and reviewing of hundreds of new models since 2018.

His motorsports coverage reflects his hands-on hours behind the wheel. A recipient of over 20 awards from several state and national journalism associations, Joe is a member of the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association (GAAMA) and the Southeast Region Automotive Media Association (SERAMA).