Frankie Muniz isn’t speeding through life to make sure his 5-year-old son, Mauz, follows in his footsteps as a NASCAR driver.
“He’s just your typical 5-year-old boy. He is playing with his cars. He plays every sport,” Muniz, 40, exclusively shared with Us before participating in Ford’s Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic on Wednesday, November 11. “He plays soccer. He plays football. He plays baseball. He has golf clubs. That’s how I was when I was a kid. I did a little bit of everything, and I just loved it.”
Muniz continued, “I want him to truly find what he loves and what’s his passion. I have some friends that are really pushing their kids in one direction or the other as far as what sport or what thing they want to be good at, and I just want him to be happy.”
While fans may have grown up watching Muniz act in shows like Malcolm in the Middle or films such as Agent Cody Banks and Big Fat Liar, the Ford driver now spends more time on the racetrack instead of on set.
Despite a busy travel schedule, Muniz tries to give his son as much of a normal life as possible with school and sports.
“Mom [Paige Price] says no to him being a race car driver. Otherwise, he’d be in a go-kart,” Muniz said with a laugh. “But we’ll see when he gets a little older.”
For now, Muniz is grateful to have his son have a front-row seat to his racing career. After Dad won the GT4 America Championship earlier this month, it was Mauz who proved to be the biggest cheerleader.
Frankie Muniz Courtesy of Ford Motor Company
“He was so happy for me that, well, to him, we won the championship and how excited he was for that trophy,” Muniz recalled. “It just means a lot because I went back to racing to be an inspiration for my son. When he was born, it was the first time in my life that I didn’t necessarily have anything going on. I didn’t really know where I wanted to focus my time or my effort, whether it be the entertainment business or other businesses that I was involved in. I decided to go racing because I wanted him to see me doing something that’s hard.”
Muniz continued, “It’s so special to me to have him here because this means a lot to me, and I love that he loves it. He’s only 5, but I hear him talking to his friends. He loves saying that Dad’s a race car driver, and it’s exciting as a father for your kid to be excited about what you do.”
With a great platform like racing comes great responsibility. As part of the Veterans Day Classic, Muniz hopes to inspire his son and millions of sports fans to honor all six branches of the Armed Services.
Taking place on November 11 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, the race will feature 12 Ford racing drivers, including Muniz, competing in Ford Mustang Dark Horse Rs. The event will conclude with a concert from Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina and more.
Muniz’s grandfather, John Preli, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, while his father, Francisco, served in the Navy and Air Force for over 20 years as a mechanic.
“We all owe so much to live in this amazing country to the military,” Muniz shared with Us. “It’s going to be an ultra-competitive race because we’re race car drivers, and that’s how we roll. But it’s going to be a blast, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
At one point in his life, Muniz said being surrounded by so much patriotism had him thinking about joining the military.
While life took him in other careers, he will never stop being grateful for nonprofit partners like Blue Star Families, Camp Southern Ground, DAV, TAPS, Team Rubicon and the Travis Manion Foundation who support the military and veteran community.
“It was always something that I looked up to and thought I would do. I still don’t know what I’m gonna do when I grow up. So maybe there’s still a chance,” Muniz joked. “My mom just gave me all of my military toys that I had from when I was a kid, and now my son plays with them, and we’ve been playing with them as well. … I definitely thought I would follow my father in those footsteps, but yeah, life took me in a different direction.”
The Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic airs on USA Network November 11 at 8 p.m. and streams live on Fandango.