Actor and race car driver Frankie Muniz has been released from a hospital following a crash during a practice lap at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old star of Malcolm in the Middle was preparing for the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, an exhibition race featuring 12 Ford drivers, when the incident occurred.
Muniz, who drives the No. 33 Ford for Team Reaume in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was set to represent the U.S. Air Force alongside driver Austin Cindric in a Mustang Dark Horse R. The event, which included musical performances by the Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, Brittney Spencer, and Warren Zeiders, was held to benefit six nonprofits that support military and veteran communities through the Proud to Honor Fund.
Frankie Muniz was involved in an incident while practicing for today's Proud to Honor event at Daytona International Speedway. He was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation and is awake and alert. We'll share updates as they become available. Thank you for your… pic.twitter.com/WL3lQNtomL
Ford Racing later announced that he had been discharged from the hospital 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 regarding his condition and his inability to compete in the evening's exhibition, noting that he had previously shared his excitement about the event, especially given his family's history of service in the Air Force and Navy.
Update from Ford Racing about Frankie Muniz. pic.twitter.com/Vs0NGY9efx
I was looking forward to honoring the service of our veterans and racing against these other amazing drivers. 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. I especially want to thank everyone who has reached out and for all the prayers.
The broadcast acknowledged Muniz’s absence, and Altzman noted on Instagram that he would strive to represent the #30 car well. Bryan Cranston, Muniz’s on-screen father from Malcolm in the Middle, had been expected to attend the event to support him.
Muniz rose to fame as a child star in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006. His acting career also included voice roles in The Fairly OddParents and Moville Mysteries, as well as film appearances in Big Fat Liar, Deuces Wild, Agent Cody Banks, and Racing Stripes.
In 2026, he reprised his role in the four-episode revival Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, for which he received an Emmy nomination.
Despite his Hollywood success, Muniz transitioned toward professional racing. He signed a two-year driver contract with Jensen MotorSport in 2006, competing in the Formula BMW USA Championship and later the Champ Car Atlantic Championship.
He focused on stock car racing starting in 2021, and by 2023, he embarked on a full ARCA Menards Series season, recording 11 top-10 finishes. He has competed in 70 professional races throughout his career, including winning a class championship in the 2026 GT4 America Series.
Earlier in 2026, he was involved in a collision at Bristol Motor Speedway that damaged his vehicle and took him out of that race, though he remained adamant about his place on the track, stating, “I belong on that racetrack just as much as he does, just as much as the leaders do.”
