Global television, film star, and professional motorsports athlete Frankie Muniz will embrace the next chapter of his professional racing career as he’ll leap to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and attempt to qualify for next Saturday afternoon’s United Rentals 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Muniz, a NASCAR-owned ARCA Menards Series graduate, is slated to make his Xfinity Series debut aboard the No. 35 Ford Performance Ford Mustang for Joey Gase Motorsports and run a limited Xfinity Series schedule throughout the 33-race season.
“I am very fortunate to have the unwavering support of Ford and Ford Performance through my NASCAR journey, and I am very humbled yet excited to be teamed up with Joey Gase Motorsports to attempt my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut next weekend at Daytona International Speedway,” offered Muniz.
The team also confirmed on Friday that the number 35 car has obtained the 25th place owner points that have been transferred to the No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports team – adding a cushion for Muniz to make his first NASCAR national series start in the event of inclement weather.
“Joey Gase Motorsports is proud to welcome Frankie to the team,” said Gase, a longtime fixture in the NASCAR garage. “Undoubtedly, he brings a lot of attention to our team and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but throughout the last couple of weeks, I’ve never seen a driver more determined or focused than Frankie.
“He will be an asset to our program this season, and I look forward to joining him as a teammate in our No. 53 National Crime Prevention Council car at Daytona.”
Finishing fourth in ARCA Menards Series points last season in his first entire season of stock car competition, Muniz realizes that jumping to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season will be a huge learning process but insists he is devoted to making the most of his first season in NASCAR’s top-three national series.
Last February, Muniz qualified 16th and finished a competitive 11th in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona. In April, he accelerated his superspeedway craft by delivering a ninth-place result after starting 10th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Fast forward 12 months later, Muniz relies on that experience to aid him toward a productive Xfinity Series debut.
“I know that moving up to Xfinity is a big leap for me, given my limited experience in stock cars,” offered Muniz. “I understand the challenges ahead and know it will not always be easy. I want to thank Wayne Auton and Brett Bodine at NASCAR for believing in me and allowing me to compete in the Xfinity Series this season.
I know that I have an enormous amount to learn, but you won’t find someone more dedicated than I am when it comes to chasing a dream.”
Muniz’s complete 2024 Xfinity Series schedule will be released at a later date.
Muniz Racing PR
