Frankie Muniz was rushed to the hospital after a crash interrupted his racing plans. The Malcolm in the Middle star was hurt during practice at Daytona International Speedway. Muniz remained “awake and alert” after the incident, and later confirmed that he was recovering. The accident also forced him to miss a special race-day event honoring military veterans.

Malcolm In The Middle star Frankie Muniz gets injured

The 40-year-old actor credited his Ford Mustang with protecting him during the wreck. Speaking after his release, Muniz said he felt sore but was doing well. “My Mustang did its job in protecting me,” he said in a statement to TMZ.

Frankie expressed regret over missing the event, saying he had hoped to celebrate veterans’ contributions while sharing the track with the other talented racers. “I was looking forward to honoring the service of our veterans and racing against these other amazing drivers,” Muniz said. He also thanked the medical team, event organizers, and fans who reached out after the crash to know his well-being.

Muniz had been preparing for the Proud to Honor event when the accident happened during a practice session. Ford confirmed that he had been taken to a nearby medical center for a checkup. The company said he was “awake and alert” following the incident.

Photos published by Entertainment Tonight showed the extent of the damage to his car. Rescue workers had cut away its roof to remove him from the vehicle.

The crash also disrupted his planned partnership with NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric. The pair were scheduled to represent the U.S. Air Force at the Daytona event. No replacement for Muniz had been announced in the report (via Parade).

Muniz has shifted gears from Hollywood fame to the racetrack. Becoming a father gave that dream an extra push. During an appearance on the Drive podcast, he recalled cradling his newborn son, Mauz, in 2021 and thinking about the kind of role model he wanted to become.

He hoped his son would grow up watching him working “really hard for something, striving for something, and all the ups and downs that come with it.“ Muniz later called racing a piece of “unfinished business” that he still needed to settle.