Denny Hamlin comes clean on his “bad FOMO” when Ryan Truex took his spot in Mexico City

Denny Hamlin missed last week’s Cup Series race in Mexico City as his fiancée Jordan Fish welcomed their third child into the world. This time, it was a baby boy whom the couple lovingly named Jameson Drew. However, as he watched the race on TV, the JGR ace went through somewhat of an emotional roller coaster.

Named Viva Mexico 250, the 160-lap race marked the first Cup Series event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez since 1958. It garnered a staggering 2.1 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video, outpacing F1 and IndyCar’s viewership.

So, it is safe to say that staying out of the event was a tough decision for the Tampa, Florida native. JGR's reserve driver, Ryan Truex Jr., filled in for him, finishing the race in 23rd place.

When asked about his feelings ahead of qualifying, Denny Hamlin said,

“It wasn’t weird on Sunday. Friday, I had bad FOMO. It was, right when practice was starting my heart started racing and I was like, ‘Oh.’ I knew, my body knew, my head knew that I was missing it, and then by the time I got to Sunday I had been content with being at home for the weekend.”

Denny Hamlin had won the race at Michigan International Speedway just the week before, marking his third victory of the 2025 season. The driver was granted a playoff waiver under medical grounds, so he remains eligible to enter the Round of 16 opener at Darlington Raceway, scheduled for August 31.

“But yeah. Jameson’s doing good, mom’s doing good. So, yeah, just glad that we were able to have that opportunity to see that weekend through,” Hamlin added.

Next up for the Toyota icon is The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. The race is scheduled for Sunday, June 22, and will be televised on Amazon Prime Video, 2 pm ET onwards. Denny Hamlin happens to be a seven-time winner at the Pennsylvania-based racetrack, so a lot of eyes will be on him.

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Denny Hamlin earns his first pole of 2025 at Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin stands with the Busch Light Pole Award after winning the pole for The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway - Source: Imagn

Denny Hamlin won the pole for The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, marking his first pole of 2025 and the 44th of his career in the NASCAR Cup Series. He will be starting Sunday’s race alongside RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher, who qualified second.

Per reports, Hamlin’s lap at 172.599 mph was 0.083-second faster than Buescher’s. Rounding off the top five were Carson Hocevar, John Hunter Nemechek, and Cole Custer.

“Because I was a little more rested than the rest of the field right there, I was able to show a little more speed," Denny Hamlin said in a statement (quoted by ESPN). "Every week we have a good shot to win and this team just knows what I need out of the car.”

Hamlin is now vying for his eighth win at the 2.5-mile, tri-oval racetrack. Needless to say, bagging the pole was a good start for him.

“The cars and tires have changed over time, but you still make speed at this track the same way. I was able to execute there in qualifying and that's a good start for us,” Hamlin added.

Hamlin’s JGR teammates Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs qualified sixth and seventh, respectively. His other teammate, Christopher Bell, will start ninth on Row 5 alongside Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez.