Major Denny Hamlin update issued ahead of Mexico NASCAR race

Denny Hamlin will not compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City. The update by NASCAR confirmed that Hamlin will stay in the United States to be with his family following the birth of his son. This means Ryan Truex will step in to drive the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing at the Viva Mexico 250.

The announcement came via NASCAR’s verified X account. Their tweet read:

“NEWS: @dennyhamlin will not compete this weekend at #NASCARMexico. @Ryan_Truex will drive the No. 11 car for @JoeGibbsRacing.”

In his statement, Denny Hamlin said he’s staying home with his fiancée Jordan Fish and their newborn son. In his own words,

“Everyone is doing well,” Hamlin stated.

“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.” (via NASCAR.com)

Hamlin’s absence will mark the end of a long streak—this will be the first Cup Series race he has missed since 2014, when a sinus infection sidelined him in Fontana, California. He currently holds three wins in the 2025 season and ranks third in the driver standings. Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed they will apply for a playoff waiver to keep Hamlin eligible for the postseason despite this one-race absence. NASCAR has already indicated that drivers missing races due to childbirth are entitled to such waivers, meaning Hamlin’s playoff hopes remain intact.

Ryan Truex, Joe Gibbs Racing’s reserve driver, will take over Hamlin’s No. 11 car. This will be Truex’s first Cup start in over a decade—his last appearance at this level came in 2014. So far this season, Truex has participated in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona and has three wins across his last 18 starts in that series, dating back to 2023.

The Cup Series race at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. It will be the series’ first international points race since 1958.

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“He still doesn’t love it”: Denny Hamlin shares how his father reacted to controversial post-race comment

Denny Hamlin recently opened up about his father’s reaction to a comment he made after winning the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. After securing the win, Hamlin aimed a taunt at the crowd, saying,

“Daddy, I'm sorry, I beat your favorite driver, folks,” referring to Chris Buescher (Michigan native).

In a follow-up appearance on his Actions Detrimental podcast on YouTube, Denny Hamlin discussed how his father, Dennis Hamlin, felt about the situation. Speaking candidly, Hamlin admitted that his father had previously asked him not to use that line. Despite that, he chose to go ahead with it during the post-race interview. When asked about the aftermath, Hamlin said on the podcast,

“[Dennis Hamlin] still doesn’t love it.” (43:15)

The incident happened after Denny Hamlin won at Michigan. This is where he grabbed his third victory of the season. William Byron had led nearly half the race but ran out of fuel with just over a lap remaining. Hamlin capitalized, overtaking teammate Ty Gibbs, who was also conserving fuel, and Buescher to seal the win. The result elevated Hamlin to third in the 2025 driver standings, tying him in wins with top contenders like Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson.