Frankie Muniz hospitalized after Daytona practice crash, replaced in Veterans Day charity race

Frankie Muniz was taken to a hospital Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 11, after crashing during practice at Daytona International Speedway. He was preparing for the Ford Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, a charity exhibition race scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Ford Racing and Muniz's team, Team Reaume, both say he is awake and alert.

What happened on track

Muniz was running laps on the infield road course when the car hit a tire barrier nose-first, according to Motorsport.com. The front of the car was destroyed. Muniz had been second-fastest in the session at the time.

A photo of the Team Air Force car, published by Entertainment Tonight, which was at the track to interview him, shows the roof cut away. Rescue workers removed it to get him out.

The speedway was not open to the public when the crash happened, TMZ reported.

Team Reaume posted a statement on X: "Frankie Muniz was involved in an incident while practicing for today's Proud to Honor event at Daytona International Speedway. He was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation and is awake and alert."

The team added: "We'll share updates as they become available. Thank you for your support and for respecting Frankie's privacy at this time."

A Ford Racing spokesperson told TMZ that Muniz was transported for evaluation and will not compete tonight.

The race goes on without him

Motorsport.com reports that Ford factory development driver Jenson Altzman has replaced Muniz in the lineup. Muniz was to share the Team Air Force entry with Austin Cindric, the former Daytona 500 winner. Cindric will not be paired with Altzman.

The event features 12 drivers from several racing disciplines in identical Mustang Dark Horse R race cars built by Ford Racing. Six teams are each named in honor of a branch of the U.S. military. The race raises money for the Proud to Honor Fund, which supports six nonprofits focused mainly on the military.

Muniz had said the event meant something to him personally. "My dad was in the Air Force and the Navy, and my grandfather was in the Navy," he told Page Six ahead of the race.

Ryan Blaney had already dropped out of the field after a recent fall, according to Motorsport.com. The broadcast was scheduled for USA Network, with a stream on Fandango.

Questions about the car

A crash in a spec car raises an obvious question: was it the car or the driver? Ford has not said what caused it.

Brad Keselowski, one of the 12 drivers, spoke to reporters before qualifying. "The team here at Ford Racing looked through all the data and didn't find anything happened to the car (before the crash)," he said. "I think we're all pretty comfortable."

That is Keselowski relaying what Ford's team told the drivers. Ford Racing has not published a finding on the crash.

Muniz's season

Muniz, 40, has spent most of his adult life racing. He stepped away from acting when "Malcolm in the Middle" wrapped in 2006. He returned to the role this year in a four-episode Hulu revival and was nominated for an Emmy.

On the track, he and co-driver Tyler Stone won the 2026 Pirelli GT4 America Am class championship. He also ran 21 of 25 events in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, finishing 25th in points.

This was not his first wreck of the year. He crashed a "Malcolm in the Middle"-themed truck in April, shortly before the revival premiered, and was not seriously hurt, according to TMZ.

Muniz has been open about the risk. In a recent interview with Page Six, he said, "I'm turning 41 next month, so in the racing world I'm not old, but I'm one of the older guys out there. So it's not that I've got unlimited years to do it."

Bryan Cranston, who played his father on the sitcom, was expected at Daytona to support him, according to Entertainment Tonight. TMZ said it was unclear whether Muniz would be released in time to attend.

Team Reaume has promised updates. Until it or Ford says more, his injuries, how long he stays under evaluation, and what went wrong in the infield are all unanswered.