Denny Hamlin Could Be Out for This Weekend’s Race

What’s Happening?

It’s no secret that Denny Hamlin is on ‘baby watch,’ as his fiancée, Jordan Fish, is expected to have the couple’s third child at any moment. In a recent interview, Hamlin clarified that he is willing to miss the NASCAR Cup Series race at Mexico City to be there for the child’s birth.

• Tuesday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Hamlin clarified that he would not board the plane if the baby had not arrived by his departure time for this weekend’s race in Mexico City. With the first practice session scheduled for Friday, Hamlin will have to know by Thursday.
• In this week’s episode of his podcast Action’s Detrimental, Hamlin said that he was unsure about the ‘cutoff’ for when he needed to decide to leave or stay. He said, “It’s one thing when you’re in Michigan; you’re an hour and a half flight away. There’s no customs. I fly right into the airport. It’s just not that in Mexico.”
• Fortunately for Hamlin, if he were to miss this weekend’s race, he has three wins already this season, securing his spot in the playoffs with ease. Furthermore, under the new NASCAR Playoff Waiver system, ‘birth of a child’ is on the short list of medical exemptions, meaning he will not lose any points or eligibility.
• If Hamlin were to miss the race, it is unclear who could fill in for him in the No. 11. While some fans would like 23XI Racing prospect Corey Heim to take the seat, a more realistic option is Ryan Truex, the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr, who is the full-time reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing.

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