Hamlin once again proved he thrives in controlled chaos. Heading into the weekend at Michigan International Speedway, his participation was still up in the air, hinging on the health of fiancée Jordan Fish, who is expecting their third child. The uncertainty had even Joe Gibbs Racing co-owner Heather Gibbs on edge, unsure whether her driver would suit up at all.
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After the win, Heather playfully ribbed Hamlin, saying, “When he [Hamlin] gets home, he’ll be home. It was good. He kind of thrives in chaos, I know, right?”
She admitted to trying to get Hamlin fire-suited up for the race. “It was true, we wanted to get him in the car. We made it to Sunday. I joked with Chris, he’s like, ‘We’ll try to make it to a certain point and then we won’t talk to him.’ I’m like, ‘Just go,'” she said.
Hamlin, smiling through the lighthearted jab, replied, “Well, that is true. That is true. I’ve been in the room before, and she needs something really hard to grab onto, and my hand is perfect for it. I’m definitely going to be there this week — hopefully — to hold her hand.”
I wondered if JGR team owner Heather Gibbs was worried about Denny Hamlin possibly missing the birth of his child and she offered her perspective (which resulted in some laughs) … and her perspective required a response from Hamlin. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/RhqUqezZC8
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 8, 2025
After rolling off third, Denny Hamlin held his ground to close out Stage 1 of the FireKeepers Casino 400 in the same position. But by Stage 2, he had slipped to eighth. As the final stage wore on and the frontrunners began to peel away, Hamlin, who had dropped as far back as 11th, clawed his way to fifth with 20 laps remaining.
From there, he played the long game — conserving fuel while others ran dry. With Carson Hocevar fading late due to his tires and William Byron sputtering out in the final moments, Hamlin ultimately snatched the win. Now, he has another tough job at hand.
Denny Hamlin opens up about the name the couple has decided to pick
During the post-race press conference, motorsports journalist Dustin Long asked Denny Hamlin whether a name had been chosen for his soon-to-arrive child, and if not, whether the Michigan win might inspire one. Hamlin revealed that while the couple had narrowed their list to around 13 to 15 names using an app, he had already made his pick.
That’s because his fiancée gave him a clear-cut choice: “If you had to pick one or the other, you either get to schedule this or you get to have the name. Which one? You can’t have both.” Hamlin opted for the latter.
Still, he appreciated the idea of tying the baby’s name to his Michigan win, calling it a thoughtful idea.
