Frankie Muniz is entered in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race for Joey Gase Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway, Muniz announced Feb. 9.
Muniz will drive the No. 35 as a teammate to team owner Joey Gase, who’s in the No. 53.
Should he qualify, the race would mark Muniz’s Xfinity debut.
“I am very fortunate to have the unwavering support of Ford and Ford Performance through my NASCAR journey, and I am very humbled yet excited to be teamed up with Joey Gase Motorsports to attempt my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut next weekend at Daytona International Speedway,” Muniz said in a release.
Added Gase, “Joey Gase Motorsports is proud to welcome Frankie to the team. Undoubtedly, he brings a lot of attention to our team and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but throughout the last couple of weeks, I’ve never seen a driver more determined or focused than Frankie.”
According to the release, Muniz will run a limited schedule with the team in 2024, though his races past Daytona were not announced.
Frontstretch had initially reported Muniz was linked to RSS Racing for 2024 according to multiple sources, a report that did not prove to be accurate.
“I know that moving up to Xfinity is a big leap for me, given my limited experience in stock cars,” Muniz added. “I understand the challenges ahead and know it will not always be easy. I want to thank Wayne Auton and Brett Bodine at NASCAR for believing in me and allowing me to compete in the Xfinity Series this season. I know that I have an enormous amount to learn, but you won’t find someone more dedicated than I am when it comes to chasing a dream.”
In 2023, Muniz competed in the full ARCA Menards Series season for Rette Jones Racing, scoring one top five and 11 top 10s.
Daytona marks the first race for the Nos. 35 and 53 under the JGM banner; previously, the team operated as Emerling-Gase Motorsports, but co-owner Patrick Emerling has since left the organization and will drive for SS-Green Light Racing and his own organization in the Xfinity and ARCA series, respectively.
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