Frankie Muniz
(Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Frankie Muniz hoping for a home-town advantage in this week’s Phoenix race

AVONDALE, Ariz. — After an impressive, 11th-place performance in his ARCA Menards Series debut last month at Daytona International Speedway, global television, film star and professional motorsports athlete Frankie Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing team are making trek to Phoenix Raceway eyeing a top-10 finish in Friday night’s General Tire 150.

And while Daytona certainly brought Muniz attention, Phoenix is bound to produce similar interest. The outskirts of the race track in Avondale, Arizona is considered home for the former Malcolm in the Middle television actor.

“It hasn’t been that long since I’ve been in a race car, but it feels like an eternity,” Muniz said. “I had an absolute blast at Daytona with [crew chief and team co-owner] Mark [Rette] bringing me a very fast No. 30 HairClub Ford to contend with.

“We just missed a top-10 finish, and while that was a huge bummer, an 11th-place finish to start my rookie season in ARCA Menards Series competition isn’t bad at all.”

RELATED: Entry list for the General Tire 150 at Phoenix

Frankie Muniz
(Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

While Muniz has not yet turned a professional lap on Phoenix’s one-mile oval, the local native has spent hours at the facility studying the track while also reviewing film/photos and making laps on a simulator.

Muniz is hoping all the focus will pay dividends in his second ARCA start.

“When you race in your own backyard, you certainly want to put on a show,” Muniz said. “We have a lot of local support, not to mention some local marketing partners who jumped on board for this race, plus the nonstop support from the grandstands too.

“We are taking that same sturdy approach that we did at Daytona where we took our time, made the most of every lap turned and hope when the checkered flag waves on Friday night, we’re in a good spot.”

PHOTOS: Scenes from Frankie Muniz’s ARCA debut at Daytona

The Hot Chick, one of Phoenix’s premier restaurants, will serve as Muniz’s primary marketing partner on Friday night.

“I really appreciate The Hot Chick and Republic Bank of Arizona for stepping up and supporting our race at Phoenix,” Muniz said. “The Hot Chick is one of the best eating establishments in town, and with their relaxing, upbeat atmosphere, I know we’re going to have a bunch more people rooting for us on Friday night.”

Frankie Muniz
Frankie Muniz prepares to race in the Daytona 200 for the ARCA Menards Series on Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

For Rette, a former ARCA championship-winning crew chief, he was impressed with Muniz’s performance at Daytona and looks forward to seeing his attentiveness continue at Phoenix.

“Phoenix is a lot different than Daytona, but Frankie has been working hard for weeks trying to adequately prepare himself for Friday night. With the race being a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series West, there are going to be some new players that Frankie will have to battle with.

“But through the unknowns of Phoenix, I think Frankie will continue to showcase his ability as a race-car driver, and we can have another solid performance to kick off our 2023 season.”

Rette Jones Racing this year will continue its longtime partnership with Ford Performance. The team has upgraded its fleet to include the Ford Mustang continuing this weekend at Phoenix.

Friday’s General Tire 150 (150 laps / 150 miles) is the second of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A 45-minute practice session Friday begins at 3 p.m. MT, with a 20-minute timed qualifying session schedule to follow at 4 p.m. MT. The field will take the green flag shortly after 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET.

The race will be televised live on FS2 with a live stream available on the Fox Sports App. Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) will provide an audio broadcast.