Frankie Muniz breaks silence after NASCAR crash: 'My Mustang did its job'
Frankie Muniz breaks silence after NASCAR crash: 'My Mustang did its job'
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYThu, November 12, 2026 at 3:18 AM UTC
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Frankie Muniz is offering an update on his health after the actor and NASCAR driver crashed in Florida during a practice drive.
The "Malcolm in the Middle" alum, 40, was released from the hospital Wednesday evening, Nov. 11, after the crash.
"I am a little sore, but my Mustang did its job in protecting me," Muniz said in a statement via Ford Racing. "I want to thank everyone at Ford Racing, Daytona International Speedway and the staff here at the hospital. I especially want to thank everyone who has reached out and for all the prayers."
More: Frankie Muniz hospitalized after accident at Daytona ahead of Ford exhibition race
The Emmy-nominated actor, who competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was hospitalized on Nov. 11 after crashing at Daytona International Speedway, Ford and Muniz's Team Reaume announced in an earlier statement, adding that he was "awake and alert."
The practice drive came ahead of Ford’s "Proud To Honor Veterans Day Classic," where he was initially set to drive before the crash. The track was not open to the public at the time, according to Team Reaume.
Ford development driver and International Motor Sports Association competitor Jenson Altzman, 24, replaced Muniz during the exhibition race.
Muniz said in a statement that he was "disappointed" he couldn't compete in the event at Daytona's road course.
Entertainment Tonight shared images from Getty showing heavy damage to Muniz's racecar with the roof removed. The outlet reported that Muniz's "Malcolm in the Middle" co-star Bryan Cranston was expected to watch the race.
The crash was not due to a vehicle malfunction, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski told reporters before the event.
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"The team here at Ford Racing looked through all the data and didn’t find anything happened to the car (before the crash)," Keselowski said. "I think we’re all pretty comfortable."
NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney was also slated to race in the exhibition but withdrew on Nov. 10 after he "accidentally took a fall that required medical attention."
Muniz rose as a Hollywood star at a young age with 1997 TV movies "To Dance with Olivia" and "What the Deaf Man Heard" before landing his breakout role on the classic sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." He's also starred in movies like "Agent Cody Banks," "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" and "The Black String."
He is a father to 5-year-old son Mauz with Paige Muniz, who he married in 2019. On July 1, they revealed that they had been separated for an unspecified period of time and were now divorcing.
In 2023, Muniz announced his return to stock car racing in the ARCA Menards Series more than a decade after experiencing season-ending racing injuries.
He started driving full-time in the Truck Series for Team Reaume in the No. 33 Ford in 2025 and has notched seven top 20 finishes over the past two seasons, including four top 20 finishes in the Truck Series this season.
Earlier this year, he and Tyler Stone were the drivers for the championship-winning team in the Am Class of the GT4 America Series, a sport-car racing circuit where Muniz piloted the TechSport Racing Ford Mustang.
"Going into this, I've never raced sports cars," Muniz said after winning the championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "My first time ever in a GT4 car was for the first practice session at Sonoma. I thank Ford Racing for pushing me in this direction. It was so incredible. I feel like halfway through the year, we really figured everything out and we won a few races and put ourselves in the position to win the championship."
He is set to race in both NASCAR’s Truck Series and the GT4 America Series in 2027.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frankie Muniz breaks silence after NASCAR crash: 'My Mustang did its job'
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