Frankie Muniz Hospitalized After Daytona Practice Crash, Released the Same Night: 'I Am a Little Sore'
On November 11, American actor and racing driver Frankie Muniz, 40, crashed during practice at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, and was released the same evening. He had been scheduled to race that night in Ford's "Proud to Honor" Veterans Day Classic. According to USA Today and the Associated Press, Muniz's Mustang hit a tire barrier on the infield road course during practice. Ford Racing and Team Reaume, the team he drives for, said in a statement that he was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation, was awake and alert, and that the track was not open to the public at the time.
According to Motorsport, safety crews had to cut the roof off the car to get Muniz out, and photos published by Entertainment Tonight showed his No. 30 Mustang Dark Horse R heavily damaged with the roof removed. Released on Wednesday evening, Muniz said in a statement through Ford Racing: "I am disappointed I won't be able to take part in Ford's Proud to Honor event tonight. 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." According to Page Six, he also shared an update on Instagram Stories that night.
Muniz had been set to partner with Cup Series driver Austin Cindric on a team representing the Air Force in the exhibition race; 24-year-old Ford development driver Jenson Altzman replaced him. Driver Brad Keselowski told reporters before the race that Ford's team had reviewed all the data and found nothing had happened to the car before the crash. The first-of-its-kind exhibition featured six teams, each representing a branch of the U.S. military, with proceeds supporting nonprofits that serve service members and veterans.
Muniz rose to fame as a teenager in the sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle," earning an Emmy nomination, before moving into racing: he began stock-car racing in the ARCA Series in 2023 and now drives Team Reaume's No. 33 Ford full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Neither the team nor Ford has disclosed any specific injury, and no cause for the crash has been announced.
Source: Ford Racing
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Frankie Muniz本人资料图（2025年摄于Phoenix Raceway，Nascar9919摄，CC BY 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons），已预裁为精确16:9成品（头部完整留边、双眼睁开）。/ Frankie Muniz (file photo, 2025, Phoenix Raceway, by Nascar9919, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons), pre-cropped to an exact 16:9 frame with his full head and open eyes.
