Denny Hamlin OUT For Mexico City; Truex to Drive No. 11
What’s Happening? Denny Hamlin will miss this weekend’s race in Mexico City following the birth of his third child. In his…
Denny Hamlin will miss this weekend’s race in Mexico City, Mexico, ending a streak of 406 consecutive starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. But there is some confusion about his Playoff eligibility. So, after he misses this weekend’s race, will Denny Hamlin lose Playoff eligibility for missing Mexico City?
UPDATE: 12:54 PM: NASCAR has granted Hamlin his Waiver
Hamlin is out for this weekend’s race due to the birth of his son. He has been on baby watch for multiple weeks and has stated that he would willingly miss a race weekend to be there for his fiancée, Jordan Fish.
Ryan Truex will drive the No. 11 car in his place, meaning that the car will still be on track and earn owner’s points for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Now, Hamlin has already qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, having won three races, and is well secured in the top 16 in points. But, per the NASCAR Rule Book, “Unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must start all Championship Events of the current season to be eligible for The Playoffs,” something that Hamlin can no longer do.
However, NASCAR has an option for full-time drivers who may miss a race for any reason. These drivers must request a Playoff Waiver, allowing them to compete in the playoffs (should they qualify) after missing races.
So, the question is, does Denny Hamlin deserve a Playoff Waiver?
What’s Happening? Denny Hamlin will miss this weekend’s race in Mexico City following the birth of his third child. In his…
Most expect Hamlin to receive his waiver as it is for the birth of a child, something NASCAR lists as an exemption. But the rules surrounding Playoff Waivers are different in 2025. In recent years, fans have lobbed criticism at NASCAR for seemingly playing the Playoff Waiver system fast and loose.
The most important story of all in 2024 was Kyle Larson, who missed the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 due to his participation in a rain-delayed Indianapolis 500. NASCAR awarded Larson a Playoff Waiver, and the No. 5 went on to finish sixth in points despite missing one race.
Though NASCAR had awarded debatable Waivers in the past, the sport redeveloped the waiver system this past offseason. Per a release from NASCAR, in the 2025 season, “If a Playoff Waiver is granted for missing a race, the driver will forfeit all current and future Playoff Points (earned prior to the Playoffs), and will start the Playoffs with a maximum of 2,000.”
This new rule does not mean that Hamlin will be penalized if NASCAR awards him a waiver. NASCAR has exceptions for “medical reasons and age restrictions,” including “driver medical, birth of a child, family emergency, etc.”
One driver, NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie Connor Zilisch, has already had to use a medical Playoff Waiver for an injury he sustained at Talladega.
What’s Happening? NASCAR is making major changes to its rule book ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. These changes include Damaged…
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On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
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Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
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Corey Day’s run-in with Connor Zilisch at Circuit of the Americas became one of the most discussed incidents from Saturday’s race, even drawing a response from Denny Hamlin as well, who this week talked about his support for Zilisch.
During the race, Zilisch dealt with brake trouble on his No. 1 Chevrolet but worked his way forward from the rear of the field, advancing from P29 to P4 in the closing laps. With five laps remaining, he engaged in a battle with Hendrick Motorsports driver Corey Day as they exited Turn 2, holding the outside line. But as they contested the position, Day moved up behind him, contact occurred, and Zilisch spun off course to finish the race in P21.
After the contact, frustrated, Connor Zilisch initially referred to Day as an “absolute hack” on his radio, describing the clash as part of the latter’s racing pattern. But the JR Motorsports driver later tempered his comments, simply saying he expects an apology from the young Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Given that Zilisch declined to escalate the situation, on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin credited him for calmly managing his response after the race, saying,
“Zillich was smart about this. He in his interview, he’s like, “I looked over at him thinking, come on over here. Come apologize.” And he said he just looked at him with a stare like, I don’t know what it is with these guys. Why, Why can’t they… youth?”
However, he questioned Day’s failure to issue an immediate apology. In fact, he said he was “floored” by Corey Day’s reaction, which involved staring at a frustrated Zilisch rather than apologizing.
The No. 11 JGR driver also raised questions about how Hendrick Motorsports evaluates developing drivers. Organizations invest with the expectation of returns measured in wins and titles, but when a driver continues to make visible mistakes, fans and especially other drivers will start to scrutinize. Hamlin pointed to the balance between development and production, asking how long it would hold.
The COTA incident was not the first time Day’s racing antics were questioned. Last week, during the Atlanta race, Day was involved in a multi-car crash on lap five after attempting a three-wide move that resulted in contact with Ryan Sieg. The move triggered a chain reaction that collected several cars.
Sieg responded over team radio, questioning both the decision and Day’s presence in the series.
Hamlin argued that drivers are allowed to make mistakes as part of growth. At teams with front-running equipment and title ambitions, time frames are shorter. But he questioned whether Day faces a deadline by season’s end or whether the assessment extends into the following year.
In Day’s case, results have not offset the incidents that have drawn attention. Hamlin referenced Kyle Larson as an example, noting that aggressive driving can lead to contact as well as wins.
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