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Frankie Muniz, known for his role in "Malcolm in the Middle," is recovering after crashing his race car at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday (November 11). The 40-year-old actor and race car driver was practicing for the Ford Racing's Proud to Honor event when he collided with a tire barrier, severely damaging the front of his Mustang. Muniz was quickly transported to a local hospital for evaluation and has since been released.
In a statement, Muniz expressed gratitude for the safety features of his Mustang, saying, "I am a little sore, but my Mustang did its job in protecting me." He also thanked Ford Racing, Daytona International Speedway, and the hospital staff for their support. Muniz was disappointed to miss the event, which was intended to honor veterans and feature six racing teams representing different branches of the U.S. military. He had been set to race alongside NASCAR driver Austin Cindric for Team Air Force but was replaced by Ford development driver Jenson Altzman.
According to Page Six, Muniz was the second-fastest driver in practice before the crash. Safety crews had to cut him out of the car after the incident on the infield road course. Yahoo Sports reported that the crash was not due to a vehicle malfunction, as confirmed by NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski.
Muniz, who has been racing since 2008, had experienced another crash earlier this year during a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite these setbacks, he continues to pursue his racing career, competing in both NASCAR's Truck Series and the GT4 America Series.