Frankie Muniz Rushed to Hospital After Practice Crash at Daytona

Actor and racing driver Frankie Muniz was rushed to a Florida hospital after crashing his race car during a practice lap at Daytona International Speedway, Variety reported on 11 November 2026.

The crash happened at a Veterans Day event at the speedway, the banked oval in Florida best known as the home of the Daytona 500. Muniz was scheduled to race on Wednesday as part of Team Air Force in Ford's "Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic." A practice lap is a run on the track before the competitive event, used to test the car and get the driver up to speed.

Many viewers know Muniz from his acting work, above all the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which ran on American television from 2000 to 2006. He did not leave racing for the screen, though. He began a second career as a racing driver in 2008, and he has kept competing on the track ever since.

For a driver, the path from film set to pit lane is a long way round. It is also one that many former child stars have taken, trading the director's chair for a steering wheel. Muniz's crash puts that second career back in the headlines, at a time when the racing community has turned its attention to veterans and the military families who attend the event.

Ford's event, and the team that was to race under the Air Force banner, were built around honouring service members on Veterans Day, which falls on 11 November each year. Muniz was due to take part in that programme, and the crash means he will not.

Those questions remain open for now.