Actor turned professional driver Frankie Muniz said he did not need anymore trash talk from fans and drivers following a one-in-a-million instance over the weekend.
Muniz finished 23rd at the Black’s Tire 200 on Friday in the NASCAR Craftman’s Truck Series, a result that could have been much worse if Muniz did not push through a remarkably rare showing of bad luck.
At the Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina, Muniz told reporters he felt his truck was “really good” and “really fast” — that was until his power-steering line burst, forcing him to start the second stage with no power steering.
“I don’t know if a rock hit it or if something hit it, you know, it literally burst it. Burst the line,” Muniz told reporters after the race.
Muniz showed off a gigantic blister on his hand caused by the freak incident and said pushing through the race was the hardest thing he had ever done.
“I just lost all power steering, ripped a hole in my hand, just trying to hold on to it,” he said, raising his hand. “But then we started the second stage with it like that, and that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
The race was separated into two stages, the first with 45 laps, then 90, then finished with 65 laps in the third stage.
‘Maybe it’s you. Like, maybe you’re just not good.’
Muniz explained he did his best to stay out of the lead drivers’ way while still trying to finish the race; he had received criticism the week prior over alleged unpredictability while driving near the back of the pack. Muniz received complaints from drivers Brandon Jones and Ty Majeski, but he said he was more affected by remarks from the fans.
“It’s one of the first times I’ve gotten a ton of s**t — excuse my French — online from the fans … my whole life I’ve also had people talk crap about me online — warranted or not or whatever. I’m used to letting it go. But it does affect you. I’m telling you, it affects me because we haven’t had things go our way,” Muniz said in an interview.
Circling back to Friday, Muniz said he was purposely being more cautious.
“I don’t need anyone else talking s**t about me about being, you know, a moving chicane … so just let them go,” he added.
On Monday, Muniz seemed worse for wear and took to his X page to say he felt worse about himself than ever.
“If I’m being 100% honest… Mentally/emotionally I may be at a new low. Just wanted to say it out loud.”
Despite being so hard on himself, the 39-year-old is ranked 24th out of 45 drivers and still has around a dozen races left to prove himself.
“I got bad luck,” Muniz said about the burst line. “My wife doesn’t believe me anymore. You know, I love my wife, and she’s super supportive, but she’s like, ‘Maybe it’s you. Like, maybe you’re just not good.’ I’m like, ‘I can’t help that!'”
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