Denny Hamlin to miss Cup race at Mexico City; Ryan Truex to substitute
Hamlin and fiancée Jordan Fish welcomed a baby boy, Hamlin announced in a statement on X, but Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, will remain home with his family, missing Sunday's Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
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MORE: Mexico City schedule | Cup standings
'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 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.'
Hamlin's absence will mark his first Cup race missed since March 2014, when he was sidelined from a race at Auto Club Speedway due to health reasons. A three-time winner in 2025, Hamlin and JGR will need to request a waiver to remain eligible for the Cup Series Playoffs and retain the 18 playoff points he has earned despite missing an event. The team confirmed on its X account it intends to apply for that waiver.
Before the season began, NASCAR's competition officials listed the birth of a child as one example of circumstances in which a driver would retain their points and eligibility despite missing a race.
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Substituting for Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will be Ryan Truex, a three-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series who will make his first Cup start since 2014. Truex made 11 Xfinity starts in 2024 and competed in the series' 2025 season-opening race in February at Daytona International Speedway.
The NASCAR Cup Series will compete at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the division's first international points race since 1958.
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