Frankie Muniz Is Still Trying to 'Earn Respect' as a NASCAR Driver. But He Wants to 'Beat Everybody' (Exclusive)

• Frankie Muniz tells PEOPLE he's "working really hard" for his success as a NASCAR driver
• The multitalented star says he doesn't want to "look back" and wish he had "tried harder" at racing
• Muniz partnered with Morgan & Morgan on his new truck, debuting March 14 in Las Vegas

Frankie Muniz wants to be the fastest.

Muniz, 39, has been making a name for himself in the racing world since he returned to the track in 2023, earning himself a spot in the 2025 season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. As he debuts his new truck sponsored by Morgan & Morgan, the Malcolm in the Middle star tells PEOPLE he's still trying to "earn respect" in the sport.

"I think at first, maybe people thought it was like a hobby," says Muniz. "I don't necessarily worry about what anyone says, but...especially in the racing world, you grew up doing it...you know everybody because you've raced them for years."

"Then to have an actor jump in, it probably is a little odd. I get that," Muniz admits. "But you earn respect or the recognition as a driver and not just as an actor when you're out there competing and beating them, right? That's what I'm trying to do. That is the name of the game, right? Is to try to be the fastest. I want to beat everybody."

"I'm working really hard for it. You know what I mean? Not for their attention, but for me to have success in that world as a race car driver."

To debut his new truck with Morgan & Morgan, Muniz filmed a handful of commercials with the law firm partners. "Obviously, I think people know me mostly as an actor, but one thing I love is that really everywhere I go now people come up to me and talk to me about my racing, and the fact that I can tie the two together with something like this is even better."

Muniz jokes that while he knows he's "got work to do as a race car driver," he's seen "a lot of the NASCAR drivers' commercials...and they're not very good in the acting department."

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Dan Morgan says his firm was "excited" to have Muniz partner with them. "Frankie stood out to us as an ideal partner not only because of his widespread recognition but also because of his strong commitment to family, community, and values that closely align with those of Morgan & Morgan."

The Agent Cody Banks star, who shares son Mauz with wife Paige Price, rarely has time to slow down. "I've always been busy since I was probably 8 years old. But I've never been as busy as I am now," he tells PEOPLE, noting that he's balancing racing with fatherhood, a three-year build on his house in Arizona that he calls "a nightmare" and working on the reboot of his iconic series Malcolm in the Middle.

"I did 550,000 airline miles last year. I'm going to beat that this year a hundred percent," says Muniz. "It's a lot, I'm not going to lie, I'm tired, but I know that I have opportunity in front of me right now and I need to take advantage of it, right?"

Muniz says he's currently focused on "putting in the work and the time" to be successful in racing. "I don't want to look back at the end of the year, the end of the season, or even after we're done filming Malcolm, and go, 'I wish I tried harder.'"

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"I don't want to phone anything in. I know it's going to be an insane year, but I know eventually ... I've been saying for 20 years that I was going to start slowing down, but I know eventually I won't have it, and I don't know what I'll do at that point."