Michael Muñoz (crew chief)
| Michael Muñoz | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 9, 1977 Tulare, California, U.S. |
| ARCA Menards Series West career | |
| ARCA West no., team | Central Coast Racing |
| First win | 2008 Miller Motorsports Park |
Michael Muñoz (born September 7, 1977) is an American professional stock car racing crew chief in the ARCA Menards Series West. He is currently the crew chief for the No. 13 of Tanner Reif[1] and his been the longtime crew chief at Central Coast Racing previously for Tyler Reif and Todd Souza.
Motorsports career
Muñoz has worked in motorsports for over two decades. He started his career in motorsports working as a tire specialist for Matt Crafton before moving on to become a crew chief.[1] In the late 2000s, he began working at Central Coast Racing as the crew chief for the No. 13 for Todd Souza in the then K&N Pro Series West. He has also been the crew chief for large names like Michael Waltrip and Eddie Cheever III. He would get his first win in the now ARCA Menards Series West with Todd Souza at Miller Motorsport Park.[2]
In 2024, Muñoz became the crew chief for young ARCA Menards Series driver Tyler Reif in the No. 13 at Central Coast Racing.[3] He would score two wins that year as a crew chief, bringing home the team's first win at Shasta Speedway,[4] where Tyler led every lap to bring home the first win for the organization since 2008, and the second being at Tri-City Raceway in August.[5] Muñoz would also be suspended for two races, placed on probation, and faced with a $1,000 fine after Sonoma Raceway, due to a violation of the rule book of “placement of logos and identification of the vehicle”.[6] This penalty was regarding the No. 13, which was racing a Ford Mustang body but had Toyota manufacturer stickers on the car on top of the Ford ones. Muñoz would help bring home the team's first Owners’ Championship in the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West.[7]
In 2025, Muñoz would remain full time at CCR, being the crew chief for Tanner Reif in the No. 13 car. On April 5th, he would gain another win at Tucson Speedway after Tanner Reif would bring home his first win for Central Coast Racing.[8]
Personal life
Muñoz was born into a Latino family in California.[1] He credits NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Matt Crafton as the reason he got into motorsports professionally. He met Crafton while growing up as a kid in second grade at school. In an interview, he says, "Crafton gave me a platform as a child to dream, his dad, watching him be a mechanic during the day and a race mechanic at night. Grew up around Jerry Baxter and Junior Joiner, they kind of groomed me as a child to dream."
References
- ^ a b c Report, Staff (2019-07-10). "Michael Munoz Living His Dream: 'I've Always Wanted To Be A Crew Chief"". ARCA. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ "WS: Utah: Race notes". Motorsport.com. 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ^ Release, Press (2024-02-02). "Tyler Reif returning to Central Coast Racing for 2024 ARCA Menards Series West season; Todd Souza set for partial season". ARCA. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ "speedway, n.", Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2023-03-02, retrieved 2025-10-02
- ^ White, Brandon (2024-08-11). "Tyler Reif prevails at Tri-City for second consecutive West Series victory". ARCA. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2024-06-12). "Central Coast's No. 13 Penalized After Sonoma". FrontStretch.com. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ "ARCA Menards Series West: 2024 Phoenix II Race Review | Kickin' the Tires". 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ Fenwick, Adam (2025-04-06). "Going slow to go fast: Tanner Reif uses perfect strategy to win West Series' return to Tucson Speedway". ARCA. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
External links
- Michael Muñoz crew chief statistics at Racing-Reference