Updated Nov. 11, 2026, 8:45 p.m. ET
Emmy-nominated actor and NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz was briefly hospitalized on Wednesday, Nov. 11 after crashing during practice at Daytona International Speedway ahead of Ford’s “Proud To Honor Veterans Day Classic.”
Ford and the team Muniz drives for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Team Reaume, said in a statement that the 40-year-old “was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation and is awake and alert.” The track was not open to the public at the time of the crash. Images from Getty shared by Entertainment Tonight showed heavy damage to Muniz’s racecar and the roof removed.
Muniz was released from the hospital on Wednesday evening. He said in a statement he was “disappointed” to not be able to race in the event at Daytona’s road course.
“I am a little sore, but my Mustang did its job in protecting me,” Muniz said. “I want to thank everyone at Ford Racing, Daytona International Speedway and the staff here at the hospital. I especially want to thank everyone who has reached out and for all the prayers.”
Muniz was set to partner with Cup Series driver Austin Cindric on a team representing the Air Force in Ford’s exhibition race for Veterans Day. Ford development driver Jenson Altzman, a 24-year-old who competes in IMSA, replaced Muniz.
Ford’s exhibition race at Daytona is the first of its kind, aiming to showcase the manufacturer’s top drivers while also honoring the military. With coverage on USA Network, it featured 12 drivers paired into six teams. Each team represented a branch of the military.
Drivers competed in Mustang Dark Horse Rs, a car that was designed for International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) competitions. Other drivers participating in the race included Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Layne Riggs, Noah Gragson, Ty Majeski, Joey Hand and Logan Sargeant.
Speaking to reporters prior to the exhibition race, Keselowski indicated that Muniz’s crash wasn’t due to the car malfunctioning.
“The team here at Ford Racing looked through all the data and didn’t find anything happened to the car (before the crash),” Keselowski said. “I think we’re all pretty comfortable.”
Ryan Blaney was supposed to race at Daytona as well, but withdrew on Tuesday after he “accidentally took a fall that required medical attention.”
Before putting on a firesuit and getting behind the wheel of a NASCAR truck, Muniz was a young star in Hollywood and an Emmy-nominated actor for his work on “Malcolm in the Middle.” He also starred in films such as “Agent Cody Banks,” “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” and “The Black String.” Muniz’s “Malcolm in the Middle” co-star Bryan Cranston was expected to attend the race, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Muniz began stockcar racing in 2023 at the lower-level ARCA Series. Last year, he began driving full-time in the Truck Series for Team Reaume in the No. 33 Ford, notching seven top 20 finishes over the past two seasons. He had four top 20 finishes in the Truck Series this season.
Earlier this year, Muniz and Tyler Stone were the drivers for the championship-winning team in the Am Class of the GT4 America Series, a sport-car racing circuit where Muniz piloted the TechSport Racing Ford Mustang.
“Going into this, I’ve never raced sports cars,” Muniz said after winning the championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “My first time ever in a GT4 car was for the first practice session at Sonoma. I thank Ford Racing for pushing me in this direction. It was so incredible. I feel like halfway through the year, we really figured everything out and we won a few races and put ourselves in the position to win the championship.”
Muniz is expected to continue racing in both NASCAR’s Truck Series and the GT4 America Series in 2027.
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