How NASCAR’s Latest Waiver Rule Allows Denny Hamlin to Do Justice to Domestic Duties

After his two daughters, Taylor and Molly, Denny Hamlin is ready to greet his third child this June, amid the stringent NASCAR season. In the past, drivers often grappled with the possibility of missing the birth of their children due to the tight NASCAR race schedules that stretch week after week until November. However, the newly instituted waiver rule now offers Hamlin some reassurance.

During a discussion on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin shared that he anticipates the arrival of his baby around June 1. When asked whether he would be present alongside his fiancée, Jordan Fish, during the delivery, Hamlin confidently responded, “Yeah, of course. There’s a new rule though, right?” His co-host, Jared Allen, affirmed, “There is! You can miss a race for a birth.”

Although missing a race isn’t the ideal scenario for Hamlin, who is still in pursuit of his first NASCAR Cup Series championship, the provision ensures he won’t face penalties should he need to prioritize family at that critical moment. The waiver rule was primarily established following Kyle Larson’s granted exception last year while he attempted double duty for the first time trying to race in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

The debate reached a fever pitch when NASCAR was deliberating whether to grant Larson a waiver, as he had intentionally skipped a NASCAR race to participate in the Indy 500 due to a rain delay that overlapped both the race starts, thereby choosing to compete at Indianapolis.

In response, the promotion introduced a waiver rule to establish that such waivers would not be routinely extended to drivers who miss races to compete elsewhere.

Under the new guidelines, should a waiver be granted, the affected driver would enter the playoffs bereft of any points. Traditionally, drivers accumulate playoff points during the regular season to secure an advantageous position for the championship’s final 10 weeks. However, a driver receiving a non-medical waiver must now relinquish all earned and potential playoff points for that season.

The criteria for receiving a waiver now encompass medical emergencies, the birth of a child — which proves to be a boon for Hamlin — or a family crisis, as well as age restrictions, such as a driver who was too young to compete throughout the full season.

Additionally, the policy also means that suspensions will not qualify as a valid reason for a waiver; a driver suspended for any on- or off-track incident may still qualify for the playoffs but will forfeit all playoff points. It will indeed be intriguing to see how drivers adapt to these regulations while maneuvering through the NASCAR tracks.