Malcolm in the Middle actor Frankie Muniz discharged after practice crash at Daytona

Practice-lap crash at Daytona

Frankie Muniz, the 40-year-old actor known for Malcolm in the Middle, was taken to a medical facility on Wednesday, 11 November, after a crash during a practice lap at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. He was preparing for the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, a benefit race scheduled for that evening on the track's road course. Team Reaume, the team he races for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, said he was awake and alert while he was being taken for evaluation. The team posted on X that it would share updates as they became available and asked followers to respect the actor's privacy. A Ford spokesperson confirmed to Page Six that an incident had occurred during training, that Muniz had been taken to a medical facility and that he was responsive.

Discharge and his response

Hours after the crash, Muniz was discharged from hospital and sent home to continue his recovery. In a statement shared after his discharge, he described himself as sore but said his car had protected him during the crash. He said he was disappointed not to take part in the evening's race and thanked Ford Racing, Daytona International Speedway and the hospital staff. He also thanked everyone who had reached out with prayers. Whether he was injured has not been established in the reports, and the cause of the crash remains unclear.

“I am a little sore, but my Mustang did its job in protecting me.”

The exhibition race

Muniz was due to race for Team Air Force alongside NASCAR driver Austin Cindric in the exhibition. The event benefits six nonprofit groups that support military and veteran communities through the Proud to Honor Fund. A dozen Ford Racing drivers were divided into six teams, racing one-on-one in Mustang Dark Horse cars to honour the US armed forces. According to USA Today, Ford development driver Jenson Altzman, 24, took Muniz's place. The evening's entertainment included performances by Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, Brittney Spencer and Warren Zeiders.

Muniz's path from television to racing

Muniz was nominated for an Emmy for his work on Malcolm in the Middle before he stepped away from acting in 2006 to pursue professional racing. According to his website, he began in the Formula BMW USA Championship and later raced in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship from 2007 to 2009. He was fourth in the 2009 standings with two races remaining when a season-ending injury led to multiple operations. In 2024 he took part in 38 races each in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts and truck series. Over the past three years he has entered 117 truck series races.