Denny Hamlin to skip Mexico City race after birth of son

Denny Hamlin will miss Sunday’s Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to remain in the United States with his family after the birth of his son Wednesday.

Ryan Truex, who is Joe Gibbs Racing’s reserve driver, will drive the No. 11 car this weekend in Hamlin’s absence.

“We are happy to announce the birth of our son,” Hamlin said in a statement. “Everyone is doing well. My main priority is to be here at home for (fiancee) 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.

I appreciate everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, our partners, and our fans for the support over the last few weeks and I look forward to being back at the track next weekend in Pocono.”

Joe Gibbs Racing stated Thursday it will apply for a playoff waiver so Hamlin, who has three wins this year, remains eligible for the playoffs. NASCAR stated before the season it would grant a playoff waiver to a driver who missed a race for the birth of a child.

This will be Truex’s first Cup start since 2014. He has driven one Xfinity race this season, competing in the season opener at Daytona for Sam Hunt Racing. Truex has won three of his last 18 Xfinity starts since 2023.

This will be the first Cup race Hamlin has missed since 2014. He sat out a race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, that season when he developed a sinus infection that affected his vision before the event. Hamlin will have his streak of 406 consecutive Cup starts end this weekend.

Hamlin is third in the points after his victory last weekend at Michigan. Teammate Christopher Bell is fourth in the season standings, 14 points behind Hamlin. Chase Elliott is fifth in the standings, 30 points behind Hamlin.