Frankie Muniz Released From Hospital After Daytona Crash
Actor and NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz was released from hospital on Wednesday evening, hours after a crash during a practice lap at Daytona International Speedway left rescue crews cutting the roof off his Mustang to free him.
The 40-year-old, best known as the star of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, said he was “a little sore” but otherwise doing well, and thanked the hospital staff and fans who had sent messages of support. He will not take part in the charity race he had travelled to Florida to drive in.
Roof cut away to free driver
Muniz was practising on the infield road course at Daytona on Wednesday, 11 November, ahead of Ford’s Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, when his car hit a tyre barrier nose-first. Photographs from the scene showed the roof of his No. 30 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R had to be cut away before he could be taken from the car.
He was transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation. Ford and Team Reaume, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team Muniz drives for, said in a statement that he was awake and alert. The Associated Press reported that Muniz was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation and was awake and alert. Jayski reported that he was released early on Wednesday evening.
“I am disappointed I won’t be able to take part in Ford’s Proud to Honor event tonight,” Muniz said in a statement released through Ford Racing. “I am a little sore, but my Mustang did its job in protecting me. I want to thank everyone at Ford Racing, Daytona International Speedway and the staff here at the hospital.”
A charity race he will now miss
The Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic is an exhibition race on the Daytona road course that benefits six nonprofits supporting military and veteran communities through the Proud to Honor Fund. Muniz had been due to represent Team Air Force alongside NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric.
The event also featured Cup Series champions Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. Muniz’s former Malcolm in the Middle co-star Bryan Cranston had been expected to attend in support of his friend, according to Entertainment Tonight, which was on site to interview Muniz when the crash happened.
From sitcom star to NASCAR driver
Muniz became a household name as the title character in Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006, and he recently returned to the role in the sequel series Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. His return comes as Hollywood continues to lean on familiar names: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey recently passed $1.17 billion to become Universal’s biggest international release. Away from acting, he has pursued motorsport seriously since he began racing professionally in 2006, working his way up to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he drives for Team Reaume.
His second career has made him one of the more unusual crossover figures in American sport: a former child star competing in one of the country’s most demanding racing series, with the NASCAR paddock watching his progress closely.
What caused the crash remains unclear
No cause for the crash has been stated, and no fracture, concussion or other diagnosis has been named. Keselowski said Ford’s data “didn’t find anything happened to the car,” leaving the reason for the incident unresolved for now.
The episode is a reminder of how quickly a routine practice session can turn serious, even on a road course at a track better known for its high-banked oval. For Muniz, the immediate priority is rest and recovery, with no timeline given for his return to the truck.
For now, the outcome is the one that matters most: a frightening afternoon at Daytona ended with the driver walking out of hospital the same evening, sore but safe, and grateful for the car that protected him.
