Malcolm in the Middle alum-turned-professional race car driver Frankie Muniz announces he will be unable to take part in an upcoming NASCAR race due to an injury.
The actor/racer posted on Instagram that he had taken a bad fall in his backyard while using a ladder. It led to him sustaining a distal radius fracture in his wrist that would require him to be out of the racing circuit for at least six to eight weeks.
“The phrase ‘FML’ (Frankie Muniz’s Life) takes on new meaning with moments like these. I’m disappointed to share that I won’t be racing at Darlington this weekend or for the next few weeks due to a distal radius fracture,” Muniz wrote in his Instagram caption.
“Yesterday, I fell from the top of a ladder while changing the batteries in a Ring camera in my backyard. Note to self: heed the ladder warning that says, ‘Do not sit or stand on top step.'”
He jokes that using a taller ladder would have been more helpful and “smarter,” and admits he’s disappointed to have to miss out on the race, but is “grateful it wasn’t worse.”
“I feel for my team, who’ve poured their hearts into this season, and I’m thankful for @FordPerformance and their unwavering support. The doctor estimates a 6-8 week recovery, so I’ll be back in the driver’s seat as soon as I’m cleared,” he concluded.
While the distal radial fracture is a common injury, the injury comes nearly a year after Muniz was involved in a multi-vehicle collision during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Avondale, Arizona. It led to Muniz suffering multiple injuries.
After Malcolm in the Middle ended, Muniz took a hiatus from acting in 2006. He announced he would focus on pursuing professional racing and leave his acting career behind.
Muniz commented that he was fortunate to be a part of a show that’s well loved by fans, but in the end, its all “based on opinion.”
“I could show up to work as an actor and dedicate my life to the role and feel like I did the best job ever. And then people see it and go, ‘Yeah, it was OK. I didn’t like it.’ Where, as a race car driver, it’s not subjective. It’s in black and white. You either win and you’re the fastest or you’re slow,” said Muniz about pursuing racing.
