Frankie Muniz has been taken to hospital after being involved in a crash while practicing for the Proud to Honor event at Daytona International Speedway in Florida on Wednesday. Officials confirmed that the 40-year-old actor was awake and alert following the incident and had been transported to a facility for medical attention.
Team Confirms Condition
Team Reaume said in a statement: "Frankie Muniz was involved in an incident while practicing for today’s Proud to Honor event at Daytona International Speedway. He was transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation. He is awake and alert."
Officials have not yet revealed what caused the accident or whether the star, who had been preparing for Ford’s Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, suffered any injuries as a result of the collision.
Veterans Day Classic Participation
Muniz was scheduled to compete against NASCAR driver Austin Cindric, who represents the US Air Force. The pair were two of 12 drivers selected to represent veterans at the inaugural event.
The actor previously spoke of how "excited" he was for the race, telling PageSix: "My dad was in the Air Force and the Navy, and my grandfather was in the Navy," Muniz said of why his participation felt extra special. "We owe so much to [our veterans], and the fact that I get to race and raise awareness and give back to so many families who have given us Americans everything, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, especially to honour my father and grandfather."
Racing Career and Previous Crash
Muniz, who rose to fame as a teenager with the title role in Malcolm in the Middle, has been a car racing fan throughout his life, having driven the pace car at the Daytona 500 at the age of 15, 22 years ago. He began his career in racing in 2021 after competing in stock car racing tournaments, before driving for Rette Jones Racing in NASCAR.
Shortly before the race, Muniz spoke candidly about his transition from showbiz into NASCAR, noting that much of the chances of success are "out of your control". He said: "In the beginning, it was really tough because I couldn’t get over thinking of what went wrong or what I could have done differently. And I would say I’ve gotten a lot better at that the last maybe two seasons."
Just over three years ago, Muniz crashed his Ford Mustang at speed into the wall at the Elko Speedway in Minnesota. He had a big impact with the wall but was able to emerge unscathed. He tweeted: "I'm okay after that big crash. A bit sore. Really frustrated because we were battling all race in the top 5. I still know I have a lot to learn, but I know I belong out there in a race car. I’m no where near my peak. Thanks to my team @RetteJones30 for all their hard work. Can't wait to get home to my family tomorrow morning, I know that'll help make me feel better! Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far on this journey of fulfilling my dream."
