Actor and race-car driver Frankie Muniz said he was a “little sore” after being discharged from hospital, where he was taken following a crash during a practice lap at Daytona International Speedway.
The 40-year-old Malcolm in the Middle star was taken to a local medical facility after the crash on Wednesday. He was practising for the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, a benefit race scheduled for that evening at Daytona’s road course, when the accident took place.
In a statement following his discharge, Muniz said he was “a little sore” but credited his Mustang with protecting him during the crash.
“I am disappointed I won’t be able to take part in Ford’s Proud to Honor event tonight,” Muniz told TMZ. “I was looking forward to honouring 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,” he added. “I especially want to thank everyone who has reached out and for all the prayers.”
Team Reaume, which Muniz drives for in the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series, had earlier confirmed that he was “awake and alert” while being taken to a local medical facility.
The track was reportedly not open to the public at the time of the crash.
Muniz and Nascar driver Austin Cindric were set to represent Team Air Force in an exhibition race that benefits six nonprofits supporting military and veteran communities through the Proud to Honor Fund, according to a Nascar release.
A dozen Ford Racing drivers were split into six teams to race head-to-head in Mustang Dark Horse cars in honour of a branch of the US military.
Muniz was replaced by Ford development driver Jenson Altzman, 24, who competes in the International Motor Sports Association, according to USA Today.
Musical performances by the Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, Brittney Spencer, and Warren Zeiders were part of the event.
Muniz was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Glove Awards for his work in Malcolm in the Middle and was one of the best known child actors of his time.
He also appeared in films such as Big Fat Liar, Deuces Wild, Agent Cody Banks, and Racing Stripes.
Muniz took a hiatus from the entertainment world in 2006 to pursue professional race-car driving. He returned to television this year in Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, a four-episode revival of the sitcom, reuniting him with original cast members Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek.
He began competing in the Formula BMW USA Championship and later went on to race in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship from 2007-09. Muniz was fourth in the 2009 championship standings with two races to go before a season-ending injury resulted in multiple surgeries, the website said.
Muniz ran 38 races each in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and trucks series in 2024. The actor has participated in 117 trucks series races over the last three years, with one top-10 finish at Daytona in 2025.
He began driving full-time for Team Reaume in the Truck Series in 2025, competing in the No 33 Ford. He has recorded seven top-20 finishes across the past two seasons, including four in 2026.
Muniz has also continued competing in sports car racing. Earlier this year, he and Tyler Stone won the Am Class championship in the GT4 America Series, driving a Ford Mustang for TechSport Racing.
He is expected to compete in both the Truck Series and GT4 America Series again in 2027.