Frankie Muniz Involved In Scary Crash At NASCAR Championship

Frankie Muniz faced a frightening moment on Friday when he was involved in a serious crash during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race in Phoenix. The actor-turned-racer was seen limping into an ambulance shortly after the incident, raising concern among fans and spectators.

Leading up to the race, Muniz had expressed his excitement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, sharing his passion for racing that began years before his acting career ended. Unfortunately, Muniz’s hopes for a successful showing in Phoenix were cut short.

Frankie Muniz’s racing journey dates back to the 2006 Formula BMW USA season, where he competed in 14 races.

During the championship race, the former actor was involved in a multi-truck collision on the track.

Immediately after the accident, Muniz looked visibly shaken. Footage captured him limping and hunched over, though he walked away under his own strength. Thankfully, while the crash initially appeared severe, Muniz reassured fans shortly afterward, telling reporters he felt all right despite the impact.

“Unfortunate. I got a good opportunity to run with some guys, I made some passes. Lost a few spots on restarts, then went back out and passed them again,” he said, following the incident.

In 2021, he made his stock car racing debut, and over the summer, he announced his intent to participate in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, aiming to test his skills on the challenging Nashville Superspeedway.

In a video shared by reporter Noah Lewis on X, 38-year-old Muniz is shown limping and hobbling into an ambulance following the “hard hit.”

“There was nowhere for me to go. I got hit from behind,” he explained. “I got hit from behind into the 42 … and the 18 was right there stopped. I went right into him.”

Muniz said he was grateful for his team and the experience despite the incident. “I felt like got a good opportunity to run with some guys, I made some passes,” he added. “Lost a few spots on restarts, then went back out and passed them again.”

“So it was good for me to figure out how to get by people, you know I haven’t really gotten to do that much this year so that was really positive,” the former actor continued.

Muniz, known for his role in “Malcolm in the Middle,” has been involved in racing since 2004 and began his professional career in 2006. He recently announced that he was joining Reaume Brothers Racing as the full-time driver of the No. 33 F-150 for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

“I don’t want to say it’s a long time coming, but this has been a dream of mine for forever,” he told PEOPLE Magazine. “I started with doing the open wheel route. I thought I was going to go IndyCar, kind of the Formula 1 route, but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to try NASCAR. I wanted to do it.”

He added, “I grew up watching NASCAR. I was a huge fan, but it’s not something I necessarily thought that I’d ever get the opportunity to do.”

The announcement came after Muniz’s 2023 season in the ARCA Menards Series, where he achieved one top-five finish and 11 top-ten finishes, ultimately securing a fourth-place finish in the year’s points standings.

“I want people to know that I’ve literally dedicated my life to this,” he told PEOPLE. “You know what I mean? I love it. When I’m not in the race car, I’m thinking about being in the race car. I’m training, I’m in the simulator at Ford, the Ford Performance Technical Center.”

He continued, “I’m working with my engineers and my crew chiefs and the team and doing everything I can. Watching tape, watching past races at the racetracks I’m going to just to be as prepared as humanly possible.”

Muniz said he is “closing the door” on acting as he’s busy “focusing on being a race car driver.”

“I hope to just prove to people that I can do both. That’s all I can do. I can’t, but I hope I do, and I’m hoping I can do it this season,” he told PEOPLE.

Since joining Ford Performance that same year, Muniz has also participated in select races within the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Mustang Challenge Series.