DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The ink has faded, a sign of how old the tattoo is. For years, it served only as a reminder of what was, a message once so meaningful that Frankie Muniz wanted it with him forever.
But when his path sent him in a different direction, the tattoo lost its luster. Etched on his left wrist are twin checkered flags and the message “Please Keep Me Very Safe.” They have a renewed meaning as the actor/drummer returns to what he says is his true passion — racing.
Now 37, married, a father and nearly two decades removed from starring in the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle” and the “Agent Cody Banks” movies, Muniz will make his ARCA Menards Series debut Saturday at Daytona International Speedway (1:30 p.m.
ET on FS1). He insists this isn’t a publicity stunt. Instead, he’s trying to make up for lost time in following a dream. One he marked with that tattoo more than a decade ago. “This is relevant again,” Muniz told NBC Sports as he looked at the tattoo. “I’m so excited about that.” He recalls the day he got the tattoo.