Denny Hamlin will skip Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City. The news of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s impending absence is no big surprise, though.
Hamlin and longtime girlfriend Jordan Fish had been on baby watch for a couple of weeks, with Fish past her due date for the couple’s third child and first son.
Hamlin informed the world of the birth Thursday evening via X, while also revealing he won’t be making the trip South of the Border.
“We are happy to announce the birth of our son,” Hamlin posted on the social media platform, where he shared a photo of Fish and their two daughters while leaving no doubt of his intentions to return to competition at Pocono Raceway on June 22. “Everyone is doing well. My main priority is to be here at home for Jordan and our family over the next few days when she is able to go home and we transition to life as a family of five.”
See you guys in Pocono pic.twitter.com/ggLoheBPuU
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) June 12, 2025
Who Will Replace Denny Hamlin In Mexico City?
Ryan Truex will fill the seat of Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota in Sunday’s highly anticipated Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a 2.42-mile road course.
If that last name sounds familiar, there’s a simple explanation. Ryan, 33, is the younger brother of recently retired NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. Martin, of course, is best known for winning the 2017 Cup Series championship.
Ryan, who owns three NASCAR Xfinity Series victories, is currently an employee of Martin’s former team — Joe Gibbs Racing — where he does simulator work and is available for substitute roles like the one he will be in this weekend.
The younger Truex sibling — who hasn’t made a Cup Series start since 2014 and has logged only one Xfinity Series appearance this season — will have a golden opportunity in Mexico to prove he deserves a more permanent spot in NASCAR’s premier division.
What Does Missing The Mexico City Race Mean For Denny Hamlin?
Being unavailable for Sunday’s race likely won’t have much, if any, impact on Denny Hamlin’s quest to capture a long-awaited first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Due to the reason for his absence, NASCAR will almost certainly grant him a waiver, which means he will remain championship eligible despite missing a race.
Hamlin, who ranks third in the standings and just last weekend at Michigan claimed his third trophy of 2025, is already playoff-bound. Hamlin could leave some playoff points on the table by not competing in Mexico City, but that’s about it.
Chances are, come Sunday night when the race is over, the three-time Daytona 500 winner won’t have any regrets about staying home to be with his new family of five.
