Welcome to the reunion.
A 11th-hour reunion that is.
Rette Jones Racing confirmed today that Ford Performance development driver Frankie Muniz has reunited with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team to participate in Saturday afternoon’s General Tire 200 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Muniz, who has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Joey Gase Motorsports at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway returns to the ARCA platform to gain additional superspeedway experience but utilizes the third ARCA Menards Series race of the season to contend for his first career victory.
“I’m back home with Rette Jones Racing at least for one weekend,” said Muniz with a smile. This was a last-minute opportunity that came to fruition after I received a call early this week, and after talking it over with my wife, she said, ‘Let’s go win, Talladega!’
“We are so excited to be back in the ARCA Menards Series. I’m also thrilled to be back with Mark (Rette), Terry (Jones), and the entire Rette Jones Racing team this weekend at Talladega. I know we will be doing more ARCA races this season together as the opportunities align.
“This is a great opportunity for me to build some confidence behind the wheel and see if we can’t continue to build on together what we accomplished last April.”
In just his third career ARCA Menards Series start last spring, Muniz started his No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang tenth and hovered inside the top-10 for a majority of the 76-lap race before finishing ninth.
In his return to the 2.66-mile superspeedway, Muniz hopes to improve his craft, deliver his second career top-five finish, and put Rette Jones Racing back in the spotlight.
Muniz recalled, “I learned a lot at Daytona and Talladega in the ARCA Menards Series last year.”
“ARCA is a developmental series. The competition is tough, and there really are some talented drivers behind the wheel. Daytona was a good beginner’s course, but I was more comfortable at Talladega, and I think that showed in our performance during the race last season.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we can continue to progress during practice on Friday and be ready to get to work and put ourselves in the hunt on Saturday.”
While currently in a one-race deal with Rette Jones Racing, which will officially kick off his limited sophomore season in the NASCAR-owned series, Muniz is upbeat about the remainder of the 2024 season.
“I’m going to be busy, but I’m thankful for that,” Muniz added. I hope to get another opportunity or two in the ARCA Menards Series, but I plan to return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and spend the summer behind the wheel of a Late Model. This is our unofficial early start to the summer.”
Muniz will showcase the Ford Performance colors on his No. 30 Ford Mustang for his second tango with Talladega Superspeedway.
“Without Ford’s support, 2024 would not be possible,” said Muniz. They have been an unbelievable partner, and I’m excited to represent them on Saturday and throughout the year.”
Crew chief and co-owner Rette is excited to be paired with Muniz again.
“I am stoked to work with Frankie again this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Rette. “Despite some bumps in our rookie season, we had a blast together, and I consider Frankie a friend.
“To have trust in Rette Jones Racing to give Talladega another try really means a lot to Terry, me, and the rest of this team. I think Frankie will be able to pick up right where he left off last April, and we should have the opportunity to contend not only for a strong finish but maybe even a win.”
Since 2023, Muniz has 20 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, with a career-best finish of fifth at Michigan International Speedway in August 2023. In all, Muniz has delivered one top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. In his inaugural year of stock car competition, he maintained an average finishing position of 11.0.
For more on Frankie Muniz, please visit munizracing.com, like him on Facebook (FrankieMuniz4) and follow him on Instagram (@frankiemuniz4) and Twitter (@frankiemuniz).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and Twitter (@RetteJones30).
The General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Group practice is set for Fri., April 19, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. The race is set for the following morning on Saturday, April 20 to take the green flag shortly after 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET). The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
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