Denny Hamlin will miss this weekend’s race in Mexico City following the birth of his third child. In his place, journeyman driver and Joe Gibbs Racing reserve driver Ryan Truex will pilot the No. 11 this weekend.
In a post on his X account, Hamlin stated, “My main priority is to be here at home for Jordan and our family over the next few days.” The 44-year-old previously stated that he would not attend the race this week if the child had not been born, but it appears he is staying either way.
Ryan Truex, the younger brother of former JGR driver and NASCAR Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr, will fill in for Hamlin. This will be Ryan Truex’s first NASCAR Cup Series start since the 2014 season. Truex has just two career road course starts in the Cup Series with BK Racing, scoring a best finish of 39th at Watkins Glen in 2014.
The now 33-year-old Truex has floated around teams and the NASCAR National Series for the past several seasons but managed to make a name for himself as one of the best part-time drivers in the Xfinity Series. Over the past two seasons, Truex has won three Xfinity Series races for JGR.
This is the first time Denny Hamlin will miss a race since the Mar. 23, 2014 race at Auto Club Speedway, ending an impressive streak of 406 consecutive starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Fortunately, Hamlin will likely not have to worry about losing Playoff Points or Playoff eligibility. Most expect him to get a waiver, as NASCAR allows waivers for things such as “driver medical, birth of a child, family emergency, etc.”
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