Frankie Muniz Released From the Hospital After a Practice Incident at Daytona
The actor-turned-driver was evaluated after a practice incident for Wednesday's Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic. 'A little sore,' he said — and out of the hospital the same day.
Frankie Muniz's Veterans Day at Daytona ended at a hospital instead of in a race car — and then, the same day, with his release. The actor-turned-driver was released from a local medical facility following an incident in practice for Wednesday's Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR reported, citing Ford Racing's announcement.
"I am disappointed I won't be able to take part in Ford's Proud to Honor event tonight," Muniz said in a statement NASCAR carried. "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." His team, Reaume, had said earlier Wednesday that he was taken to the facility for further evaluation and was awake and alert.
Muniz was to have paired with Team Penske driver Austin Cindric to represent the U.S. Air Force in the exhibition; Ford development driver Jenson Altzman competed in his place. NASCAR's report does not describe how the practice incident happened, and no account read by the desk adds verified detail — what is confirmed is the evaluation, the release and the driver's own assessment.
Muniz, best known before racing for "Malcolm in the Middle," has anchored Reaume's No. 33 Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the last two seasons, with a best finish of 10th in the 2025 Daytona opener, after a full ARCA Menards Series season in 2023 brought 11 top-10 finishes. A sore driver who walks out of the hospital the same day is the best version of this story, and that is the version Wednesday delivered.
