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    Former Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz to race full time in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series

    FRANKIE Muniz is finally getting to live his dream.The child star was a staple on screens throughout the early 2000s, starring as the lead in the TV series Malcolm in the Middle and the Agent Cody Banks movies among other roles.
    Muniz was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards for his role in Malcolm in the MiddleCredit: Reuters
    Muniz has previously participated in Toyota Pro/Celebrity RacesCredit: Getty
    Now 37 years old, Muniz’s career is set to take a swift detour after he announced that he will be competing in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series championship this year.
    He will be driving the No. 30 Ford Mustang for Rette Jones Racing, and in doing so, completing a lifelong dream.
    In a statement, Muniz said: “It’s with the utmost excitement, optimism and gratitude that I’m joining Rette Jones Racing for the full ARCA Menards Series schedule this year.
    “Ever since childhood, it’s been my dream to pursue racing in NASCAR, and it was important for me to partner with a team that aligned with my long-term objectives and vision, while providing every opportunity imaginable to grow mentally and physically as a full-time race car driver.
    “I look forward to not only demonstrating my ability on the track and just how serious how I am in progressing in my racing career, but also showing my son and family what it is to chase your dreams and re-invent yourself.”
    Muniz also added in a tweet: “Finally making my dream a reality, this one is for my son and showing him that you can always chase your dreams.”
    This marks the culmination of an almost two-decade-long journey in racing, which started back in 2006 after Malcolm in the Middle came to an end.
    According to NASCAR, he kicked off his new career in open-wheel single-seater racing, before competing in the Formula BMW USA Championships.
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    Then from 2007-09, Muniz called the Champ Car Atlantic Championship home.
    Unfortunately, his racing career took a nasty turn for the worst when an accident at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course left him with a broken back and a left thumb that had essentially been “ripped off.”
    This reportedly caused him to lose his potential IndyCar contract for 2010.
    But this speedhump clearly didn’t stop him in the long run.
    Rette Jones Racing’s Mark Rette said that they were “very excited to welcome Frankie Muniz to the Rette Jones Racing family for the full 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule.
    “Over the years, we’ve prided ourselves on working with new drivers who have quickly adapted to the diversity of the ARCA Menards Series and, without a doubt, we believe Frankie can do the same.
    “It is not going to be easy, and there will be a learning curve. But with his passion, focus and commitment along with the capabilities of our team, we believe we are going to put him in a position to contend for multiple wins in 2023.”
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    Fellow team owner Terry Jones added: “Without a doubt, we believe in Frankie’s ability and commitment, and with Mark’s leadership, we believe that he will quickly adapt on track and contend for a championship in his rookie season.”
    Muniz will take to the wheel of the No. 30 Ford Mustang for the first time on February 18 at the Daytona International Speedway.
    Muniz came third on Dancing with the Stars in 2017Credit: Getty
    Muniz has long dreamed of a career in racingCredit: Getty More

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    Watch furious driver repeatedly punch rival through the car window as angry row in NASCAR race turns violent

    A FURIOUS NASCAR driver violently attacked a rival with brutal punches in shocking scenes. Andrew Grady unleashed the horrific hits at Davey Callihan following an accident in the first heat at Saturday’s Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
    Andrew Grady went on a shocking attack at Saturday’s NASCAR
    He punched rival driver Davey Calliha who was seated in his car
    Even the efforts of a staff member struggled to contain Grady’s anger
    The driver was picked up and carried off to calm down
    The two rivals had driven into the infield before Grady jumped out of his car and ran over to Callihan, who was still sat inside his vehicle.
    It is said Callihan showed him the middle finger before Grady pulled down the window netting and repeatedly smashed his foe.
    After seven punches, Grady stepped back and booted the door of Callihan’s car.
    Three men tried to calm Grady down but he avoided them and returned to Callihan’s window to try and get at him again before being picked up and carried away.
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    Grady shrugged and told Racing America: “He flipped me off so I started Mike Tyson-ing his head.
    “End of the day, we were really, really good. The car was really fast.
    “But man… you get these dumba**es that come in here and run with us, and they have no business running a late-model [car] much less a lawn mower.
    “I mean… he wasn’t close, he dive-bombed me, he hooked me.
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    “I wanted to talk to him and he flipped me off. So I started Mike Tyson-ing his head.
    “You’re in a big-boy sport. When you wreck a man, you can take a grown-man a** whipping that’s how I feel about it.”
    But Callihan denied swearing at Grady and insisted he was ready to have a grown-up conversation.
    The NASCAR ace said: “It was for a transfer position at Martinsville. From my perspective, I was there. It was close.
    “But you can’t give an inch for the transfer spot when there’s 95 cars and I had to take it.
    “It was just hard racing. I do apologise to Grady but we’re fighting for our life out there so I just did what I had to do.
    “I never flipped anybody off. He just comes starts punching me inside the race car.
    “I understand he’s frustrated, but again it’s for the transfer spot and we were just fighting for our life.” More

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    Watch shocking moment almost EVERY car is wiped out in huge Nascar crash during rainstorm in Daytona

    AROUND 20 cars were involved in a huge Nascar crash following a heavy rainstorm.Drivers were left fuming after the stormy conditions created unsafe track conditions – causing the massive pile-up.
    Around 20 cars were involved in the crashCredit: Getty
    Drivers blamed the rain-affected track for the huge collisionCredit: AP

    Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suárez led during lap 138 of the Coke Zero 400 Cup Series event at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, before they and multiple other cars lost control.
    Several smashed into the crash barrier on the right-hand side of the track while others span out on the grass.
    With nowhere to go the cars behind also crashed with only two out of the leading 22 vehicles avoiding contact altogether.
    That benefitted racer Austin Dillon, who managed to go from 16th place to first after somehow finding a gap through the carnage.
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    He won the race following a three-hour rain delay and secured a place in the Nascar playoffs.
    But some drivers believe the delay came too late and were left frustrated as they felt the wreck could have been avoided.
    When asked how the crash could have been avoided, Hamlin said: “Better officiating, that’s all we can do. We’ll learn from this, I’m sure.”
    Others suggested the race should have been halted once it was known that a rainstorm was heading towards the track.
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    Suarez said: “We knew the rain is coming, it’s raining next door.
    “I feel like they have a lot of technology there to know that this is very close, and if it is very close I don’t think it’s necessary to put us in those positions.”
    Justin Haley added: “They had about a whole lap to call caution and tore up a lot of race cars. That was pretty unacceptable.” More

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    Former F1 star Kimi Raikkonen swapping Formula One for NASCAR as Finn to drive for Trackhouse at Watkins Glen

    KIMI RAIKKONEN is going back racing with the Flying Finn set to swap F1 for NASCAR. The Formula One legend, 42, quit the sport last year after nineteen seasons and 350 races.
    Kimi Raikkonen waved goodbye to Formula One last yearCredit: EPA
    The 2007 world champion is now set for NASCARCredit: Reuters
    Raikkonen was a fan favorite during his F1 yearsCredit: EPA
    Finnish star Raikkonen has former stock car experience and will be racing for Trackhouse Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series team.
    Owned by Justin Marks, Kimi becomes the first driver officially named to pilot the new “Project 91″ car.
    It’s more than a decade since the Finn last raced stock cars, coming to the US in 2011 to compete in a Xfinity Series race and a Truck Series event.
    Marks had previously indicated that the #91 car was being reserved for renowned racing figures who wanted to cut their teeth in NASCAR.
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    Known as the Iceman, Raikkonen had 21 wins and 103 podiums during his F1 career and lifted the 2007 World Championship.
    It remains to be seen who Marks can tempt into the cockpit further down the line, but all eyes will be on Raikkonen as he makes the switch from F1 later this year.
    Marks explained: “Project 91’s mission is to activate the intersection point of NASCAR racing and global motorsport culture.
    “I truly believe the NexGen car represents an opportunity for NASCAR to enter the global professional motorsport conversation.
    “We now have a race vehicle with international technological relevance where world-class drivers from other disciplines can compete at NASCAR’s highest level without the steep learning curve that the previous generation cars required.
    “With the formation of Project 91, Trackhouse has opened the door for global champions while beginning the process of scaling into an internationally recognised racing brand.”
    Raikkonen retired after the 2021 F1 season and hasn’t been back racing in any form since.
    But the opportunity to crossover into NASCAR seemed too good to turn down.
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    He said: “Racing has always been nice. It doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s F1 or other categories.
    “Obviously the F1 story is behind me, and this [NASCAR] came up, and it made a lot of sense in a lot of ways.
    “I think without the experience there and a few races, one in the Truck and one in Nationwide, I probably wouldn’t be that interested.
    “That was obviously on an oval, this is now on a road course.
    “I’m looking forward to it, to having good, close racing, and on the road course, maybe have some chance at least to maybe do something.”
    Raikkonen is all set to make his NASCAR bow on August 21 at Watkins Glen.
    Trackhouse Racing team co-owner Justin Marks has tempted Kimi across the AtlanticCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    Watch NASCAR drivers Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer trade punches as desperate officials try to break up crazy fight on track

    NASCAR pair Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer got into a furious fistfight in front of stunned fans at the Martinsville Speedway.Brandon Jones took the chequered flag during a hotly contested Xfinity Series race on Friday night in Virginia.
    Tempers boiled over in the race at Martinsville Speedway.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    Gibbs and Mayer traded blows after late drama on the trackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Gibbs was furious with a late maneuver which saw him ram into the wallCredit: Getty
    Ty had led for most of the race but ended up eighth after the incidentCredit: AP
    But it was events after the race ended that got tongues wagging, with Gibbs and Mayer brazingly brawling on the track.
    Gibbs, the grandson of Super Bowl-winning coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, was furious over a racing menouvre from Mayer late on.
    He lost significant momentum after being forced into the wall, with Mayer appearing to shunt his car from behind on the final lap.
    After leading for most of the race, Gibbs was forced to settle for eighth place after drama on the last bend.
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    It was a messy contest throughout, with 16 yellow flags and plenty of contact between the drivers.
    The pair clashed again after the chequered flag, but this time it was Gibbs who decided to contract Mayer face-to-face.
    He stormed out of his No54 Toyota and pushed Mayer hard in the chest, with the drivers exchanging words and shoves.
    Gibbs, 19, was clearly furious with the response and started throwing punches as officials and pit crew tried to intervene.
    They finally fell to the ground and continued to try getting in shots, only to be pulled apart in front of a stunned crowd.
    ‘HE JUST SNAPPED’
    A NASCAR official was also reportedly hurt in the brawl and taken by stretcher to a hospital. 
    Mayer – who had taken his helmet off before the punches started to fly – sustained bruising to his face and a black eye.
    He revealed that the pair spoke later after the fight to cool the air.
    Mayer said: “I just put the bumper to him. He came back over and he was upset and decided to throw a couple punches.
    “I was just trying to get his attention and he took it the wrong way. And he just snapped.”
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    Gibbs gave his side of the story: “I tried to talk to him, and he got all in my face. At that point, we’ve got to start fighting.
    “We got put in a bad position there. The only thing I’m mad about.
    “He wasn’t going to get past the No16 there and I just got hit in the left rear.
    “It’s just frustrating. I just got drove in the fence at the end.”
    It’s not the first time tempers have spilled over on the NASCAR track, with Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson trading blows in 2020.
    Joey Logano and rival Denny Hamlin also famously saw red after their round of eight race in the championship play-offs three years ago.
    Gibbs is currently second in the Xfinity standingsCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    Watch terrifying fireball crash as car is flipped into air before bursting into flames but driver somehow escapes injury

    A NASCAR driver miraculously escaped unhurt after his car flipped through the air and exploded into a fireball. Myatt Snider clambered out of his ruined vehicle relatively unharmed after the terrifying high-speed smash.
    The horrifying moment Snider’s car flipped up into the airCredit: AP
    Parts of the car were sent flying in all directions after the high-speed smashCredit: AP
    Flames bellowed out of Snider’s car as he slid dangerously along the trackCredit: Twitter / @Motorsport
    On the very last lap of the Xfinity Series race at Daytona, Snider’s Chevrolet got caught up in a tangle with Anthony Alfredo and Jade Buford.
    And it was Snider who was sent careering into the air in what seemed like slow motion.
    With NASCAR cars regularly reaching speeds of up to 185mph the fact Snider escaped unharmed is a minor miracle.
    The 27-year-old spun sideways and collided with the trackside wall, which caused the engine to be EJECTED from the car.
    The front and rear sections of the vehicle were also detached from the main body as he crashed back down on to the track in flames.
    Snider’s high-speed meant the car kept travelling in a huge fireball, before finally coming to a halt in a huge mangled pile.
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    Responders rushed to the scene with fire extinguishers, helping Snider clamber out of the window and walk away unscathed.
    Snider was then treated at Daytona’s medical centre, but later released after the horror smash.
    And he told a relieved huddle of reporters: “It was violent, saw sparks kind of going everywhere. You don’t really know what’s going on.
    “You just kind of know you’re going some direction, and it’s not the right one. I was just kind of holding on, kind of hunched over, keeping everything together as much as I could.
    “I can’t profess enough how glad I am that I’m all good.”
    Snider’s car was left in a mangled heapCredit: AP
    Despite being on the last lap of the race, NASCAR immediately issued a caution after the crash which froze the field as it was.
    That saw Austin Hill come out on top of the 120-lap contest at Daytona.
    Elsewhere Floyd Mayweather’s Money Team secured a spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500, a different race to the Xfinity Series.
    Driver Kaz Grala qualified to make sure Mayweather would be represented in the main race on the weekend of the Money Team’s NASCAR debut. More

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    ‘I love fast cars’ – Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, 44, moving into motorsport by launching own NASCAR racing team

    BOXING legend Floyd Mayweather is moving into motorsport by launching his own NASCAR racing team. The Money Team Racing is set for the Daytona 500 in Florida later this month.
    Mayweather is launching his own NASCAR racing team
    The unbeaten boxer has called his outfit The Money Team racingCredit: Getty
    Unbeaten fighter Mayweather, 44, said: “I love fast cars and I love to compete.
    “I know NASCAR will not be easy, but anything easy isn’t worth doing to me.”
    The former five-division world champ took to Twitter to announce his new venture.
    He posted a video of the dazzling multi-coloured car being unveiled, captioning the post: “TMT AT THE DAYTONA 500 2022!!!!”
    Mayweather launching a NASCAR team has been in the pipeline for some years, but had previously been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    But now driver Kaz Grala is set to get behind wheel of a yellow, red, purple and blue Chevrolet sporting the No50 for The Money Team, the same number of wins on Mayweather’s flawless 50-0 professional record.
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    JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
    But Mayweather is right about his new venture not being easy, as his team are not actually guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500.
    The team doesn’t have the required charter needed to secure automatic qualification for the race.
    Grala will have to earn his spot in the field with 40 teams set to take to the track on race day, and 42 teams hoping to be there.
    And after the Daytona 500 the team plans on taking part on at least four more races, but with the hope of taking to the track up to 15 times
    William Auchmoody will take on the role of General Manager for Mayweather’s team after personally telling the boxer to get into the sport.
    Auchmoody said: “He [Mayweather] loves cars. I met him a couple of years ago and had the conversation, ‘Man, you should check NASCAR out’.
    “He started watching it a little bit and next thing you know, I’m in Las Vegas and were hashing out the details of what it would look like to get involved in NASCAR.”
    Driver Kaz Grala will be the man behind the wheel for The Money TeamCredit: AP
    Meanwhile Mayweather’s driver Grala said: “I know Floyd is here to win, and I absolutely feel that everyone involved in this program is capable of making that happen.
    “We know we will need some time to grow together as a new organisation, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of building this team from the ground up.”
    Mayweather joins Basketball great Michael Jordan and music artist Pitbull as the latest celebrity to launch their own NASCAR team.
    Pitbull recently agreed a marketing partnership deal with UFC President Dana White for his own team, Pitbull’s Trackhouse Racing.
    Meanwhile Mayweather’s sponsorship comes via sunglasses company Pit Viper. More

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    Martha Earnhardt dead at 91: Mom of Nascar legend Dale Sr and grandmother of Dale Jr passes away as racing fans mourn

    THE mother of Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt Sr and grandmother of Dale Earnhardt Jr died on Christmas evening at the age of 91. The famed Nascar family released a statement on Sunday confirming Martha Earnhardt’s death, calling her “the matriarch to multiple generations of race fans.”
    Martha Earnhardt was mother to Dale Earnhardt and grandmother to Dale Earnhardt JrCredit: Getty Images
    Her family called her the ‘matriarch to multiple generations of race fans’
    “As we grieve her loss and begin to imagine life without our beloved ‘Mamaw,’ we find solace in knowing she is at peace in eternal glory and in joyous reunion with her husband Ralph and sons Dale, Randy and Danny,” Kelley Earnhardt Miller posted on Twitter.
    Kelley is the daughter of Martha and sister of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    In an obituary posted to the Nascar website, Zack Albert wrote that Martha was a “treasure” to millions of fans, and regularly opened her home to travelers visiting the “Dale Trail,” a series of racing landmarks around Cabarrus County.
    Martha only raced once, Albert wrote, in a “powder puff derby” at Hickory Speedway.
    “She crashed, lamenting the lack of practice before the event,” Albert wrote.
    “I just wasn’t meant to be a race-car driver,” Martha reportedly said after the attempt.
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    Nascar officials also released a statement grieving the loss.
    “We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Martha Earnhardt,” the Nascar statement read.
    “Martha was not only the matriarch of a legendary Nascar family, but a beloved and respected figure within our industry and throughout the fanbase.
    “We will dearly miss her grace, compassion and welcoming demeanor.”
    Dale Earnhardt Sr was known as one of the best Nascar drivers of all time, winning a total of 76 Winston Cup races and seven Winston Cup championships.
    During the Daytona 500 in February 2001, Earnhardt Sr died in a three-car crash during the final lap of the race.
    Dale Earnhardt Jr, now semi-retired, was nicknamed the “Pied Piper of Daytona.”
    He won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014 and totaled 26 wins in the Cup Series.
    Kelly Earnhardt Miller co-owns JR Motorsports, a stock car racing team, with her brother Dale Jr.
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