Watch: Back in 1998 Jeff Gordon Shared the Hollywood Stage With Frankie Muniz

Frankie Muniz is a man of many talents. He has had a storied career in which the 37-year-old has been a highly successful actor, a drummer, and a race car driver. His first career choice was acting but Muniz always had a penchant for motor racing. In the early days of his acting career, one of the characters he played had an interaction with one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, Jeff Gordon.

Muniz had a good performance in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series, finishing 4th in the championship. In the 20 races he participated in, Muniz finished in the top 10 nine times. However, he did not manage to win a race and finished in the top-5 only once throughout the campaign. Nevertheless, the nascarman Twitter handle went back 25 years to the day to offer a rare racing and TV crossover moment.

When Frankie Muniz had an on-screen moment with one of his heroes

One of his very first interactions with the world of motorsports was through his character on the American sitcom Spin City. A young Frankie Muniz played Derek Evans in the show, one of the side characters. In a November 1998 episode, the then three-time Cup Series champion showed up at a hospital where Evans was admitted.

As Gordon entered his room, Frankie Muniz, in character, let his excitement show as he referred to the Hendrick Motorsports man as his favorite driver. “Wow! It’s Jeff Gordon! You’re my favorite race car driver,” Derek Evans said. Gordon reciprocated the kid’s excitement as he said, “Good to see you Derek! How are you?”

In 1998, Jeff Gordon was at the height of his powers. He had just won his third Cup Series championship and was one of the most popular motorsports athletes in the world. The former Cup Series driver’s PR team had always done a fantastic job to get him in front of the camera as much as possible, and this was one of those moments.

Frankie Muniz might have been playing a character at the time but the emotions he showed may very well have been his own. The Emmy-nominated actor made the switch to motorsports in 2004 and has competed in both open-wheel and stock car racing. His latest season saw him race in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series as a full-timer for Rette Jones Racing. But what does the future hold for the Wood-Ridge, New Jersey-born actor/racer?

Read More – Bubba Wallace’s Wife Drops 3-Word Revelation on Their Best Friend Amidst Knoxville Journey

ARCA Menards driver builds up suspense ahead of  “shock” announcement

Trending

NASCAR Lawsuit: Michael Jordan Taking Over Tony Stewart’s Remnants Leaves SHR Star Hanging Amidst Pending Approval

Carl Edwards Discloses the 8-Word Reason Behind Recent NASCAR Return After Long Silence

Richard Childress Disappointed With NASCAR’s Motives Forcing Him to Possibly ‘Lay a Lot of People Off’

Richard Childress Discloses His 6-Word Promise to Kyle Busch Amid Unending NASCAR Misery

Outspoken Insider Delivers Chilling Warning to Michael Jordan & Co Against ‘Anti-Trust’ NASCAR Rebellion Going South

Well, the Malcolm in the Middle star recently confirmed that he has his eyes set on the NASCAR Cup Series. He also revealed that he had a big announcement to make about his future which would come as a shock to a lot of people.

“I will be racing full-time next season. I wish I could share where I’ll be racing, but we’ll be making the announcement soon! I think everyone will be pretty shocked,” he said as per Beyond the Flag.

“Cup [Series] is definitely my goal. I think that’s everyone’s dream, but I also know I’m pretty old to be getting into the sport. At 37, I don’t have 15 years to perfect my craft to get to Cup. I have to show I belong right away and the only way to do that is to have results now,” Frankie Muniz added with a self-assessment.

Rumors have been doing the rounds about Muniz’s future but nothing very concrete has been established yet. Fans will be waiting with bated breath for his big announcement.

WATCH THIS STORY: Bubba Wallace gets candid as he reflects on childhood friend Ryan Blaney’s redemption