Toledo Speedway

August 7, 2023 -- Toledo Speedway spoke with Frankie Muniz on Friday at Michigan Speedway in advance of the final stretch of the ARCA Menards Series season. The actor-turned-racer spent time to talk about his experience in racing, his season so far, as well as what he looks forward to in Toledo and the final ARCA Menards Series race of the season - the Toledo Speedway Shore Lunch 200 on October 7th.

Tickets for this event are available now, and can be picked up at a discount at select Menards locations.

Muniz mentions Ford as a big sponsor going into the final races of the season, providing support for this big-name driver.

You're here at Michigan Speedway - It's been a crazy year for you so far... How's everything gone?

This year has been an amazing experience so far. You know, when I when I first started, I didn't really know what to expect as far as, you know, how I'd perform. I knew why I wanted to give it my all. And fortunately, it's been going pretty good. I mean, the last couple of weeks we've had a little bit of bad luck, but overall I'm pretty happy.

I think I'm third in the championship right now, but excited to be here. Everywhere I've gone, it's my first time there. So try to learn as quick as possible and be as competitive as possible here in Michigan.

What do you think about Michigan Speedway so far?

I walked the first couple corners, one and two, and it's going to be fast for sure. So I'm excited to get out there and feel it. I got to spend some time on the Sim at the Ford Technical Center, and I know it's going to be a fun race for sure.

What are you running [in the Technical Center]?

So the Ford Technical Center, they've got this insane sim. It's like a whole room and a big IMAX screen, and I actually get in a car that lifts in the air and it's pretty intense. It's pretty cool!

How does it feel to wreck in one of those?

Well, it's funny because it feels so realistic when you're in the sim that when you do spin, you go to crash, you do brace for impact because you think you're going to hit, but it just resets, you know what I mean? [laughs] It's cool.

So we're going to Toledo, running October 7th. If you want, talk a little bit about your sponsorship situation, and how the prospects of running October 7 is going to be.

Yeah - October 7, the ARCA Menards Series finale at Toledo. I'm definitely going to be there. I can officially announce that that we'll be racing the rest of the year, and hopefully the next couple races will put us in the position to where we have a chance to win the championship at Toledo Speedway. So make sure you guys come out! Either way, it's going to be really fun and I'll be out there.

Going into that race, does that lift your spirit - being able to run the rest of the season?

It is funny. The last couple of weeks, we weren't sure if it was going to be our last race or not. So the fact that that is off our back, like, it's solidified that we're going to be here for the rest of the season. I can enter here just ready to compete, not trying to hope it's not the last one. So I'm excited and grateful to Ford. And, yeah, I'm ready to just put my head down and start running in the front.

That's awesome! So let's talk about the elephant in the room, your save in Iowa. What was going through your mind going through turn three and four?

FRANKIE WITH THE SAVE!@frankiemuniz | @iowaspeedway | #Calypso150 pic.twitter.com/P468oPZDJH

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) July 16, 2023

Yeah, that save was pretty gnarly - happy I saved it, right? Because it could have ended our race early.

To be honest, I struggled in Iowa. We made a change during the first stop, and it did not make the car very comfortable for me. So having that moment even made me a little bit more, like, tense. So I kind of went into a survival mode after that, which I hate saying as a race car driver.

You want to be able to keep your head in it and keep going. But I kind of went, let's just finish. I finished 9th, but that wasn't my favorite race.

And then Pocono, we had bad luck. We had a mechanical issue after we got hit on the start really hard, and it caused some of a wire to break for the battery and ended up going down 13 laps. And that hurts more, when it's not something that you can control. You don't even get to try. We just kind of ran by ourselves. 13 laps down, but ready for this week and hopefully get back in the front.

When you're running thirteen laps down, how do you keep the mind going?

To be honest, that one was really boring [laughs]. When I would get closer to cars, they would tell me to back off just because the only way we could have made that day worse was to be involved in a wreck that we shouldn't have been in. So you just kind of log in laps. Maybe some guys will fall out... You can gain some spots, but nobody did. So I think I drove like 75-80% just to keep the car safe and finish.

So, the city of Toledo. You said you've been here once or twice back in the past?

I've been to Toledo a few times, actually. We played at a bar - I don't know if it's still there - Called Frankie's... I don't know if it's still there. I was in a band and always made a stop when we were crossing the country in Toledo. So I'm excited to get back and now go to a racetrack!

What's on your Spotify right now? What are you typically listening to?

I don't know... I've been listening to the same music for 20 years. I've never added songs to my playlist. But to be honest, I've been on this K-Love kick, on this christian rock kick, and I don't know the melodies - I just love the song! So that's Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp...

Toledo. You're going back there. Have you checked out the track before? 

Like I said, every place is new. I'm always excited to go to new places, but I hear a lot about Toledo being a fun place to race, and with it being the series finale, I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

Like I said, hopefully we're in that championship hunt still, but I don't know. It's going to be fun.

What's the expectation tomorrow? What's the goal?

I mean, my goal as a race car driver is always to be the fastest. But realistically, I want to finish the races. I want to get as many laps as possible. I'm so behind the eight ball compared to everybody else I'm racing.

This is my first year in stock cars. I think this is the 11th race of the season. It's my 10th oval race ever, so I still have a lot to learn, but I'm just eager to get there and race and learn for the future.

Everybody talks about the transition, but do you feel like you're getting used to it this way?

Yeah, I mean, I feel like a race car driver. When I put the helmet on, I don't feel like I don't belong. I think I've proven that I belong in the series, but I put a lot of pressure on myself. I now expect to be in the top five, and if I'm not, I'm disappointed.

Where in the beginning of the season, I was like "oh, I just want to learn". Now, I know I can beat a lot of these guys, so I want to do that. So that's what I'm trying to do.

What was the moment where you realized you had made it?

Daytona? You know, I was surprised by how comfortable I was there. Phoenix, I finished 6th. That was the second race of the year, and I went, oh, I can do this. You know what I mean? But a lot of it has to do with being there at the end, you know what I mean? Not having issues, not having mechanicals - we had a few of those, now we got to mitigate those.

You don't want to wish bad luck on anyone, but that's part of it. You don't know what's going to happen. I technically could win the last ten races. Some of my competitors could have mechanical issues that change the dynamic of the championship. So, until all the races are run, you really don't know what's going to happen.

Just ready to compete, ready to get in the car, and ready to get dressed and get going.

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About the Shore Lunch 200

The ARCA Menards Series crowns a champion on Saturday, October 7th with the Shore Lunch 200 at Toledo Speedway. This historic race has created many memorable moments over the years as a season finale, with big finishes and a high amount of action. Tickets for this event are available now at local Menards stores! You can click here to learn more about where to pick up your tickets for this championship event. You can also follow along with Toledo Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Shore Lunch 200 ARCA Menards Series National Championship Race, and Valley Truck Centers Outlaw Super Late Model Feature Sponsored by Churchill Transport, Tom's Collision, Innovative Fluids, VanDoorn Racing Development - 1:30 PM

October 07, 2023 - 04:30 PM EDT

Toledo Speedway

Toledo, OH