Frankie Muniz 'Grateful to Be Walking' After Daytona Crash Cuts Roof Off Car

Frankie Muniz crashed during practice at Daytona on Wednesday, and rescuers had to cut the roof off his car to get him out. The actor-turned-NASCAR driver was taken to hospital for evaluation after the crash, then released, and on Thursday he posted a video saying he has no major injuries and is grateful to be walking. His teammate Austin Cindric went on to win the exhibition race Muniz was supposed to drive in.

What happened in the crash?

Muniz was practising for Ford’s inaugural Proud To Honor Veterans Day Classic at Daytona International Speedway when he crashed on Wednesday, USA Today reports. The exhibition put 12 drivers in Mustang Dark Horse Rs, a car designed for IMSA competition, on Daytona’s road course, in six teams each representing a branch of the military. Muniz was driving for Team Air Force alongside Cindric. Images of his car showed that the roof had been cut off. His team, Team Reaume, said he was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation and was awake and alert, and Ford Racing later confirmed he had been released.

How did Muniz describe it himself?

In his own words, and with visible relief. In a video posted on Thursday, wearing a Ford Racing hat, Muniz said: “I’m sure a lot of you saw I was involved in a pretty bad wreck yesterday at Daytona International Speedway. I first of all, want to say I’m doing OK. I’m extremely sore, but fortunately no major injuries. I’m not 100% sure how that’s the case, but that’s just a testament to how well built the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R cars are and the safety.” He thanked Ford for the opportunity, apologised for the wreck, and said he was really looking forward to representing the Air Force. Then the line that gives the story its title: “I’m grateful to be walking right now. Forever grateful for all of you reaching out and to the safety team. It was tough getting me out of the car. We had to cut the roof out, but got me out safely. All is well. Recovering now. I’ll be back on the track soon.”

Who replaced Muniz in the race?

Ford development driver Jenson Altzman stepped in for the exhibition, Athlon Sports reports, and Cindric won it. That is the neat ending to the team half of the story: the Air Force pairing lost its celebrity driver in practice and still won the race. The event itself was a first for Ford, a day-long Veterans Day celebration at Daytona with live music from the Zac Brown Band and a new Ford Mustang unveiled trackside, and the drivers had travelled from NASCAR’s Championship Celebration in Miami Beach that morning. The proceeds support six nonprofit organisations through the Proud to Honor Fund.

Why was the exhibition missing two drivers?

Because Muniz was not the only withdrawal. Athlon Sports reports that Muniz became the second driver to pull out of the race, after Ryan Blaney withdrew when a fall required medical attention. Two drivers out of a 12-driver field before the green flag is a rough start for an inaugural event, and it is the detail that makes the crash more than a single-driver story. The exhibition was built around star power and military tribute, and it lost two of its names on the same day. One of the people watching was Bryan Cranston, Muniz’s co-star from Malcolm in the Middle, who attended the race and spoke to reporters. “He’s fine, I’ve spoken to him,” Cranston told Entertainment Tonight. “When I watch him race, I’m a little nervous, I’m a little apprehensive.”

What is Muniz’s racing career so far?

Longer and more serious than the novelty suggests. Muniz began stock car racing in 2023 in the ARCA Series, USA Today reports, and began driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Team Reaume in the No. 33 Ford in 2025. Over the past two seasons he has nine top-20 finishes, including a best of 10th at Daytona in 2025. Earlier this year he and Tyler Stone won the GT4 America Am class championship in a Mustang. He is expected to continue racing in both the Truck Series and GT4 America in 2027. The Truck Series garage has been a lively place this season, and NASCAR handed McDowell and Stenhouse no penalty for their Charlotte cool-down clash last month, while Christopher Bell fired back at Kyle Larson over a power-steering claim and Denny Hamlin said he would have defied a pit call had he known Larson was a lap down.

What happens next?

Recovery first, then the 2027 plan. Muniz says he will be back on the track soon, and his stated schedule has him continuing in the Truck Series and GT4 America next year. The open question is what caused the crash: Athlon Sports notes the exact circumstances have not been officially disclosed, and neither Ford nor the team has said what went wrong in practice. Until then, the story is the video rather than the wreck: a driver who needed his roof cut off to get out of the car, telling his fans the next day that he is walking, sore, and grateful. The season’s closest finish came at Charlotte, where Chase Briscoe beat Bell by 0.029 seconds in a photo finish between team-mates, and the Daytona exhibition was supposed to be a relaxed coda to that championship weekend. It turned out to be the week NASCAR was reminded how quickly a celebration can turn into a rescue.