Atlantic Driver Frankie Muniz Featured in Long Beach Home Video at People.Com
April 25, 2007 - INDIANAPOLIS - Jensen Motorsport rookie driver Frankie Muniz (#13 Chandler Development) found a special way to commemorate his first time competing as a member of the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda in Long Beach earlier this month.

The successful actor-turned-professional-race-car-driver captured all the action of his first Atlantic race on the storied streets of Long Beach through a unique video feature. People Magazine approached Muniz about filming a special celebrity video diary around his debut pro race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 13-15, and the 21-year-old Los Angeles resident was happy to oblige.

Using a camera supplied by People.com, Muniz and the Jensen MotorSport team shot home video of the driver in action throughout the weekend as they competed at Round 2 of the Atlantic Championship. Highlights of Muniz and his weekend at Long Beach are currently posted as a front-page feature on the magazine's official web site - www.People.com.

After winning the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race at Long Beach in 2005, Muniz put his acting career on hold as he joined the Jensen MotorSport team to pursue his dream of being a race car driver. The former star of the Malcolm in the Middle television show and feature films such as Agent Cody Banks, raced for the Jensen team in the Formula BMW USA series in 2006 before making his Atlantic debut this season, He hopes to continue to refine his skills in North America's top open-wheel development series and to someday join the Champ Car World Series.

Mixing in personal appearances, autograph sessions for fans and team strategy meetings in with his on-track action, Muniz enjoyed a successful weekend at Long Beach. He went the distance for the first time in his Atlantic career at his home track, securing a 19th-place finish among the 30 series entries.

To learn more about Muniz and the rest of the 2007 Atlantic competitors, log on to www.champcaratlantic.com. To see highlights from Frankie's celebrity video diary from Long Beach, visit the link http://www.people.com/people/video/diary/0,,20036491_20036490,00.php or www.People.com/frankieracing.

Source: www.champcaratlantic.com

Frankie Muniz: Go, Speed Racer, Go!
April 24, 2007 - What happens when you're going more than 100 mph and you have to, well, go? Frankie Muniz, racecar driver, reveals all! Get behind the wheel with the former Malcolm in the Middle star, now 21, as he competes in the Long Beach, Calif., Grand Prix and find out what happens when you drink lots of water before hitting the track - plus more from behind the scenes.

Watch the video

Source: www.people.com

So Close at Houston
April 23, 2007 - Frankie Muniz - driving the #13 Chandler Team Jensen car - pushed hard all race to finish in 21st position. Muniz stated, “The pace of this race was incredible. After the early full course caution for the Lewis wreck, the track went green for over 40 minutes. I pushed as hard as I could all race, and had some good battles with Herberts and D’Agostino. For me, it was just a big accomplishment so early in my racing career that I could drive so hard for so long.”

The Jensen MotorSport team will return to the race shop in Montreal to prepare for some in-season testing in mid-May. Our next race is at Portland the weekend of June 10th.

For details, contact us via e-mail at team@jensenmotorsport.com

Source: www.jensenmotorsport.com

Jensen MotorSport Grand Prix of Long Beach Report
April 16, 2007 - A short week after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the teams and drivers of the Champ Car Atlantic series were back racing on the streets of Long Beach California.

Over 90,000 fans attended Sunday's race through the picturesque streets of Long Beach. The circuit is just under two miles, on the city streets of this suburban city within greater Los Angeles.

One of the biggest stars of the event was surely Chandler Team Jensen driver Frankie Muniz. Long Beach is effectively Frankie's home race, since he lives in nearby Hollywood, California. Few people remember that Frankie is only in his 14th month driving any type of race car, so that he set competitive times in Long Beach within 1.8 seconds of the race leader was truly a major achievement for Muniz. Finishing the race in an eventual 19th position on the lead lap was a good result, and Muniz stated "I was very careful in the race mostly because I just wanted to finish. It was disappointing to get crashed out at Las Vegas last weekend, and this weekend I wanted to prove to myself that I could drive the full one hour race. I accomplished that objective, and next week in Houston we will push quite a lot harder to move up the grid."

For more details, contact Jensen MotorSport at team@jensenmotorsport.com

Source: www.champcaratlantic.com

Muniz learns his lines as race drama unfolds
April 14, 2007 - LONG BEACH - Frankie Muniz isn't satisfied with being Malcolm in the Middle, or anywhere near the middle anymore.

Sweaty, sporting a mohawk and a bit of a scruffy look, Muniz stood in a racing jumpsuit Saturday and talked about improving today on his 25th place finish in the Atlantic Champ Car Series on Saturday.

"I'm still very new into the racing world," the 21-year-old former "Malcolm in the Middle" star said. "I feel I did well. I'm 1.8 seconds off the fastest guy. If I was 1/10 of a second faster on my lap time I would have moved up six positions."

Muniz began his racing career in Long Beach in 2005 when he beat all the other celebrities in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race. He returned in 2006 in the pro category.

"This is professional racing," he said of the Atlantic series. "The celebrity race was a celebrity race. I had a good time doing it. I caught the bug doing it. But here I'm going 170 mph down the straightaway instead of 90 mph."

Muniz said he's put his television and film career on hold to pursue his dream of becoming a professional race car driver.

Racers spend time in the Atlantic series before moving up to the Champ Car Series, which culminates today with the Champ Car World Series.

"My acting career is non-existent right now. To do this and do it properly, you have to dedicate your life to it. I've only been home 40 days since last March."

His plans are to stay with Atlantic racing through 2008.

"Hopefully in 2009 I'll be in Champ Car," he said.

Muniz's 25th place finish in a field of 30 showed improvement over his practice sessions. His time was 1:18.192 with an average speed of 90.6 mph.

Muniz will soon star in the already made "My Sexiest Year," a coming-of-age romantic comedy, and in a voice-over-role in the CGI flick "Legend of the Pass." Both films are in various stages of production.

Muniz has been largely absent from both the big and small screens since 2006, when Fox Network's "Malcolm in the Middle" ended after six years and 126 episodes.

- Don Jergler, Staff writer

Source: www.presstelegram.com

Rock & Roll Vegas Grand Prix
April 10, 2007 - Three drivers took to the track at the Vegas Grand Prix this weekend to kick-off the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic season.

Frankie Muniz, driving the #13 Hard Rock Hotel / Chandler Team Jensen race car started his Atlantic career with a 22nd position qualifying effort. On Sunday, Frankie was running in 17th position at mid-race when he made hard contact with the spun car of another rookie driver, ending his race. Frankie said of his weekend, “This is the most fun that I’ve ever had in my life. To think that in just 1 year I have progressed enough in my driving to race at such a professional level is amazing. I am looking forward to this whole season so much.”

The team moves next to the streets of Long Beach California, where they will race in round #2 of the Atlantic championship on Sunday April 15th.

Source: www.jensenmotorsport.com

Frankie Muniz: 'I'm a Professional Racecar Driver'
April 7, 2007 - By Mark Gray - Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz has traded in acting on the small screen for speeding around a racetrack.

"I never really wanted to get out of acting, but now I'm a professional racecar driver," the 21-year-old tells PEOPLE. "Seriously, ask any actor if they'd rather be a professional racecar driver or an actor."

Muniz drives in the Champ Car World Series and will participate in Sunday's Las Vegas Grand Prix, a 2.44 mile race around the city's downtown, which will be televised on NBC.

"I'm truly the happiest I've ever been in my life," he said at a gala event Thursday to promote the race.

"I like the fact that I basically control my destiny with how much effort I put into working out, testing and training and becoming a race car drive," he explained.

"As an actor, it's all what people think of you. You can do your best job possible but if someone says it sucks, it sucks. Whereas here, if I'm good, it will show."

Having spent only 40 days at home in the last year, Muniz admits that his relationship with fiancée Jamie Gandy, to whom he got engaged in 2005, has taken a hit – but he's confident things will work out.

"We're still together, but we kind of took a step back for the racing purposes," he said. "She's doing her own thing and she wants to have her own life and not just follow me around the world. ... I'm so happy when I'm with her, so we'll see."

Source: www.people.com