Frankie Muniz arrived at Daytona International Speedway this week with a mission rooted in his family’s military service. A crash during practice on Wednesday sent him to a Florida hospital instead.
Ford, which hosts the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic with NASCAR, confirmed that the actor-turned-race car driver was involved in an incident while he prepared for the event.
The company’s representative described the situation to Page Six.
According to that representative, Muniz “was transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation.” The statement came the same day as the race.
The representative also gave an update on his condition. Muniz, 40, is “awake and alert.”
Page Six learned that Muniz crashed his car. Neither Ford nor the outlet had further details on the crash Wednesday.
The night’s event carries a distinct purpose. Organizers billed the Veterans Day Classic as a first-of-its-kind program at Daytona, scheduled for Wednesday evening.
It combines racing with live music to support service members and military families.
Muniz spoke with Page Six about the event shortly before race day. He told the outlet he felt “excited” and “thrilled” about taking part.
His reasons trace back to his own household. Military service shaped both his father’s and his grandfather’s lives, and Muniz said that history made this race personal.
“My dad was in the Air Force and the Navy, and my grandfather was in the Navy,” Muniz said.
He then explained what drew him to the event.
“We owe so much to [our veterans], and the fact that I get to race and raise awareness and give back to so many families who have given us Americans everything, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, especially to honor my father and grandfather.”
Muniz also revealed that he once looked at military service himself. As a younger man, he contemplated joining the Air Force, and he joked about it during the interview.
“I guess there’s still time for that to be my next career!” he quipped.
That remark came from a man whose career already spans several fields. Muniz first became a successful actor, and he now competes as an accomplished race car driver.
Between those two chapters, he played in and helped manage several musical groups, working as both a drummer and a manager.
He later acquired and sold an olive oil company alongside his recently estranged wife, Paige Price.
The couple share a 5-year-old son named Mauz.
Muniz addressed the “many lives” he has lived. He said he “did not choose those things because they’re in the spotlight; they just happen to be. In that same sense, it almost puts more pressure [on me] … that I actually use as motivation to prove myself.”
One longtime supporter figures prominently in that story.
Bryan Cranston played Muniz’s father on “Malcolm in the Middle,” and Muniz told Page Six that Cranston has “always been so supportive” of his career endeavors. Racing, he said, falls into the same category.
Muniz credited the Emmy-winning actor with introducing him to the sport in 2004.
Cranston was slated to come to Wednesday’s race and cheer him on. Muniz called that arrangement a “full-circle moment.”
Page Six reported that further information about the crash was not immediately available.
