Frankie Muniz breaks down in tears after first professional racing win

Frankie Muniz had spent years chasing a professional racing victory, and when it finally came, the former child star could not hold back his tears.

At 40, Muniz won Race 1 in the Am class of the Pirelli GT4 America championship at Road America in the United States. He drove a Ford Mustang for TechSport Racing and shared the car with Tyler Stone. Stone crossed the finish line just half a second ahead in a tight ending.

The result carried particular weight for Muniz after a difficult stretch away from the track. The demands of motorsport can require drivers to compete on as many as 42 weekends a year, and the schedule has brought serious pressure outside racing as well. “I’ve had two of the worst weeks of my entire life. I got here very depressed,” he said in a post-race interview.

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I’ve had two of the worst weeks of my entire life. I got here very depressed.

Muniz then thanked God, his team and Ford for the victory. He reserved special praise for Stone, saying, “I’m so excited for Tyler, he drove amazingly!”

The win adds a new chapter to the path Muniz chose after Malcolm in the Middle made him a household name. He gradually stepped away from acting to pursue motorsport, and at 40 he has now turned that long-standing passion into his first professional victory.

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I’m so excited for Tyler, he drove amazingly!