Now heading into its 31st season, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has been at the epitome of action. Just sitting below the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, it’s become the go-to place where up-and-coming drivers mix it up with seasoned Cup veterans on some of the toughest tracks out there. It served as a great launchpad for Cup series drivers like William Byron, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, and many more. But for legends in this series, Kyle Busch is in a league of his own.
While a lot of drivers dream of the kind of success Rowdy has, some drivers find themselves battling more than just their opponents on the track. Friday night’s race brought that reality into sharp focus. A rookie driver, whose name has been steadily building buzz even before he joined NASCAR, suffered yet another disappointing finish, one so disheartening that it’s raised questions about whether he might hang up his helmet for good.
Frankie Muniz reconsiders his racing career
It’s been a rough stretch for our Hollywood star, Frankie Muniz. Early in the Nashville race, just three laps in, Muniz’s number 33 truck started smoking and dumping oil all over the track. The problem? His oil line wasn’t hooked up right from the get-go, sending oil spilling and forcing the safety crew to scramble with a speedy try to clean up the mess before the race could safely continue.
This incident marked Frankie Muniz’s fifth DNF of the season, and with only a dozen races, it looks like a sixth could be looming. Despite his team’s efforts to fix the issues behind the scenes, the Driver’s frustration is obvious. On the radio, he called out, “Oil pressure is zero. Zero PSI,” Muniz said on the radio as it happened. After apologies from his crew chief, he then added, “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do in life anymore.” The setbacks are weighing heavily on him. What should have been a crisp, clean run ended up with his truck covered in oil and carrying a yellowed rear bumper, far from the white that fans expected. Chris Knight, a well-known motorsport analyst, captured the sentiment on X, sharing Muniz’s disappointment and calling attention to how rough this season has been.
Muniz: “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do in life anymore.”
The bad luck continues for the fan favorite. #NASCAR
— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) May 31, 2025
The Malcolm in the Middle actor, in an interview with 5GOATs post-race, said, “I mean, at this rate, I don’t know what to say. I mean, our last eight weeks have been an absolute disaster. And really, none of it has been at the fault of the team, or myself, or anything like, even there. There’s 32 trucks out there. One person hit something that cut the oil line, and it was me, you know what I mean?” The disappointment is evident in Frankie Muniz’s words.
Looking at the recent results, it’s been one struggle after another. From a promising 10th-place finish at Daytona to battling mechanical gremlins and early retirement, his struggles have been real. The on-screen Malcolm faced everything from overheating issues at Nashville and a hand injury caused by a busted power steering line at Rockingham to getting caught in a nasty multi-truck crash at Phoenix. This is tough, someone who was so passionate about racing that he quit his full-fledged acting career.
The rookie goes on to say, “You can’t make it up. At this point, you know, I forget that we still have half the season, so I’m trying to keep that in mind that, like, there’s still so much time to have some decent results and do some good racing, but I’m definitely, I can’t wait for the July break.” He now stands at p32. Add in multiple DNFs caused by oil leaks and handling problems, and Frankie Muniz may certainly be skeptical if this is the right path for him. But while some drivers and the truck series are struggling to find their footing, others are flat-out dominating, and right now, Corey Heim is the man to beat.
Corey Heim’s domination
The 22-year-old Georgia native has been in blistering form this season, picking up four wins in the first 11 races and showing no signs of slowing down. Heading into Nashville, Heim laid down the fastest lap in Friday’s practice with a 30.059-second flyer, making a clear statement that he’s got both speed and momentum on his side. Heim’s 2025 campaign has been a showcase of consistency and control across a variety of tracks.
He kicked off the year strong with a win at Las Vegas, earned back-to-back pole positions at Homestead, Miami, and Martinsville, and followed up with a commanding victory at Charlotte. At Martinsville, he edged out defending champion Ty Majeski with the last-minute 19.654-second lap, securing his ninth career pole and confirming his mastery of both short tracks and 1.5-mile ovals.
That run came just one week after narrowly missing a win at Homestead due to late-race mechanical issues—proof that even when things go wrong, Heim is still in contention.
Now, with qualifying rained out at Nashville, the lineup was set by the rulebook, giving Heim the pole position once again for Friday‘s Rackley Roofing 200. That hands him the clean air advantage at a track where position is everything. While Ty Majeski, Rajah Caruth, Luke Fenhaus, and Sammy Smith all look quick, Heim’s momentum and the dominance of his number 11 Safelite Toyota make him the odds-on favorite to seal his fifth one of the season.
And the cherry on top? Corey Heim makes his third debut race at NASCAR’s Cracker Barrel 400. Racing for 23xI Racing, the youngster is willing to show his worth. Denny Hamlin, the co-owner, who is set to make his 700th start this Sunday, praises Heim in an interview with Jordan Bianchi: “He’s going to be a Sunday Cup guy. There’s no doubt in my mind about it. He’s going to be with 23XI for the long haul. (Heim is) doing everything (he’s been) asked to. He’s in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he’s got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he’s happy with that. And he’s happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future.”
However, the 22-year-old’s NASCAR Cup Series career hangs in the balance. There are only 3 seats available according to the charter, and currently, 23XI has three talented drivers: Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst. Heim will have to get his game face on and put his head down, and deliver on track. The battle for his seat at the Cup series is one to watch.
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