Frankie Muniz’s 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season hit a severe setback on Friday night at Nashville Superspeedway when an oil pressure issue ended his race almost immediately. The actor-turned-racer’s No. 33 Ford was forced out before completing a full lap, continuing a troubling pattern of mechanical failures.
This incident marked Muniz’s sixth Did Not Finish (DNF) in just 12 starts, a dramatic decline from his promising 10th-place finish at Daytona earlier this year. His current 24th-place standing in the points standings reflects ongoing struggles, as mechanical problems continue to undermine his campaign.
Debilitating Start: Oil Leak Causes Early Exit
Muniz’s challenges began instantly at the 1.33-mile Nashville oval. On the very first lap, his truck ran over debris that damaged a critical oil line, causing oil to spray across the track and his oil pressure to drop to zero. Forced to withdraw, the Reaume Brothers Racing team pulled the truck behind the wall after only three laps.
I started pretty aggressively, and I came out of four, and I’m like, ‘Do I have smoke coming out of the back?’ I looked at my oil pressure, it was at zero. We were just done,
Muniz said during post-race interviews. His frustration was evident in his radio communication:
Oil pressure is zero. Zero PSI… I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do in life anymore.
The oil spill also delayed the event as crews spread speed-dry to clean the slick, a physical reminder of Muniz’s increasingly difficult season.
Ongoing Troubles Spotlight Persistence and Mental Toll
Muniz’s efforts to transition from his successful acting career into competitive racing now face mounting questions. After his strong Daytona debut in 2025, the past eight weeks have been engulfed by mechanical breakdowns and race-ending incidents, echoing issues he encountered during the 2023 ARCA season.
I mean, at this rate, it’s, you can’t, I don’t know what to say,
Muniz admitted.
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.
He underscored the misfortune of the situation at Nashville:
There’s 32 trucks out there. One person hit something that cut the oil line, and it was me, you know what I mean?
This cruel twist adds to the sense of inevitability weighing on Muniz’s campaign.
Despite these setbacks, Muniz remains determined to prove his legitimacy in the Truck Series. Speaking on Ford CEO Jim Farley’s podcast, he said,
While I’m new in each series, right? When I first showed up in ARCA, and now I’m in the truck series, right? I have to prove to them that I belong.
Unfortunately, the early end at Nashville deprived him of essential track time for learning and gaining momentum.
Looking Ahead: Seeking a Reset Amid Season’s Struggles
Muniz now hopes the upcoming July break will provide an opportunity to regroup, both physically and mentally, after a punishing stretch. However, the toll is apparent as he confessed,
Right now, I’m showing up just going like, ‘Please let me finish.’ And that’s not the right mentality to have.
With only three Truck Series events remaining before the hiatus, maintaining focus and resilience remains a significant challenge.
The ongoing challenges facing Muniz’s team emphasize the difficult road ahead as they battle to reverse the string of misfortune and achieve competitive results. How he and Reaume Brothers Racing respond in the next few races could be pivotal for the remainder of the season and his development as a racer in NASCAR.