Malcom in the Middle star Frankie Muniz transported to hospital after brutal Daytona crash
Actor-turned-NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz was transported to an infield medical facility following a hard crash during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
The 40-year-old former child star, who has committed full-time to competitive stock car racing over the past few seasons, was caught up in a vicious multi-car incident late in the race at the iconic 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Following standard NASCAR safety protocol after high-impact telemetry readings, emergency track safety crews responded to Muniz’s vehicle, extracting him from the cockpit before transporting him by ambulance to the track’s infield care center for comprehensive physical evaluation.
Swept into ‘The Big One’
Muniz was running in the main draft when a chain-reaction collision triggered an inescapable pileup ahead of him on the tri-oval.
With nowhere to maneuver on the high-banked turns, Muniz sustained heavy front-end and side impact as his truck was collected by spinning machinery, bringing his run to an abrupt, violent halt against the outside retaining wall.
Advert
Medical personnel attended to Muniz on the track apron before loading him on a stretcher into the infield ambulance.
Clean bill of health
Shortly after arriving at the infield care center, medical officials and team representatives confirmed that Muniz was conscious, alert, and communicating with medical personnel.
After undergoing concussion protocol and full musculoskeletal checks, Muniz was medically cleared and officially released from the care center without any life-threatening injuries, though noticeably sore from the brutal G-forces of the high-speed impact.
Muniz has steadily worked his way through the stock car ranks, transitioning from late-model events to ARCA Menards competition before stepping up to NASCAR's premier national touring divisions. Despite the harrowing hit, the actor has repeatedly affirmed that surviving the high-risk sport is part of earning respect behind the wheel.
Second harrowing crash
The Daytona incident marks the second major medical scare for Muniz since making the leap to NASCAR's national touring ranks, following a brutal crash at Phoenix Raceway in November 2024.
During that Craftsman Truck Series championship race, Muniz was collected in an inescapable chain-reaction collision after William Sawalich spun out, heavily damaging his No. 22 Ford and leaving the actor-driver visibly limping as safety crews loaded him onto an ambulance stretcher.
Although that hard hit sent him directly to the track’s infield care center for evaluation, he was ultimately cleared of fractures and structural damage, recovering from severe bruising before returning to the grid for this season’s superspeedway opener.
Phoebe Tonks
