Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin will soon be a father of three. He is currently awaiting his third child with Jordan Fish and could miss the Cup Series race at Michigan to be present during the birth. Missing one of the 36 races in a season could have devastating impacts on his championship hopes. But, fortunately, NASCAR will grant him a waiver for this.
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Following Kyle Larson’s absence during the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, the promotion had rewritten its rules around granting waivers to drivers for missing races. It declared huge repercussions for those choosing to miss a NASCAR race to race in a different series. But it allowed drivers to be absent during events in cases of medical emergencies.
By the promotion’s book, childbirth comes under medical emergencies, and this lets Hamlin off the hook. He will get to keep his playoff points and continue earning more throughout the season. This means he could still compete for the title. Moreover, Ryan Truex is preparing his racing gear to fill in for Hamlin at Michigan in case the No. 11 driver has to leave abruptly.
NASCAR would consider birth of child as a medical reason as far as granting a waiver and driver keeping playoff points. https://t.co/X3q0vHWxrR
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 31, 2025
The baby was originally expected to arrive during the Nashville race weekend. But the wait has now extended to Michigan. And it could extend further to Mexico next Sunday. In any case, Hamlin is prepared for it all.
He told NASCAR.com he was fully prepared to miss the Mexico race if he had to. But he also noted that he would leave the decision up to Fish. Either way, the promotion will not be punishing him for not wanting to miss the birth of his child.
Hamlin about Ryan Truex serving as his replacement
33-year-old Ryan Truex is the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. He currently drives part-time in the Xfinity Series for Sam Hunt Racing. He is also the reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series. Having a similar body build and size as Hamlin, he would fit in the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE well. Or, so Hamlin thinks.
He said, “I was worried about him reaching my pedals first of all. But it sounds like he fits fine. If they had overnight to adjust it, if that’s the case, if I get called tonight, they’ll be able to move the pedals back to make it all fit right for him. But overall, we’re basically the same kind of body size, so he’ll take over.”
To prepare for the stint, Truex has been spending a good amount of time on simulators. Hopefully, he will manage his task well and not make Hamlin regret leaving his car in someone else’s hands.
