Denny Hamlin Says He Will Skip NASCAR Race In Mexico City If His Child Isn’t Born Before He Has To Leave

Doesn’t want to be out of the country when his child is born.

NASCAR Cup Series driver and 23XI Racing team owner has been on baby watch for a couple of weeks now as he’s preparing to welcome his third child, and his first son, with fiancée Jordan Fish.

Hamlin has previously revealed that Fish’s due date was on June 1, which would have been the day of the Cracker Barrel 400 here in Nashville. (He also joked that she couldn’t have it on the 1st because he didn’t want a “Ross Chastain baby”). And for the past two weeks, at both Nashville and Michigan, Joe Gibbs Racing reserve driver Ryan Truex has been on standby, ready to fill in for Hamlin in the event that Fish went into labor and he had to miss the race.

But so far, the baby isn’t quite ready to make its appearance into the world, and here we are 10 days past the due date with Hamlin and Fish still waiting to find out when they’re going to meet their little one.

This week, though, is going to present a unique challenge for Denny. NASCAR is heading south of the border to Mexico City, the first points-paying international race for the Cup Series since 1958 when Lee Petty won in Toronto. (The Xfinity Series has held races in both Mexico and Canada in recent years, and the Cup Series has also traveled internationally for exhibition races, but there haven’t been any points races internationally in nearly 70 years).

Obviously traveling internationally presents logistical challenges for drivers and teams that they don’t have to deal with when they’re racing in places like Nashville or Michigan. And that means Hamlin would have a much harder time getting back from Mexico City if Fish went into labor while he was traveling, forcing him to choose between racing at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez or missing the birth of his child.

Well Hamlin has made his decision.

During an interview this morning on SiriusXM, Denny confirmed that he would not be making the trip to Mexico if Fish has not had the child by the time he’s supposed to leave for the race.

Drivers are set to leave for Mexico City on Thursday, which means that Hamlin only has two days before he would be forced to make his decision. And no doubt the decision is made easier by the fact that Hamlin already has three wins this season, including one last weekend at Michigan, and is firmly locked into the playoffs.

Of course Hamlin would be required to seek a waiver from NASCAR to compete in the playoffs, which requires drivers to attempt to start every race. But NASCAR has previously confirmed that waivers would be granted for medical issues, including the birth of a child, so Hamlin wouldn’t be required to give up his playoff spot to be there for the birth.

Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed that, should Hamlin be forced to miss the race on Sunday, Ryan Truex would be the backup driver.

Truex has served as not only the reserve driver for JGR, but also does extensive work in the racing simulator for the team, allowing him to become familiar with the setups and how the cars drive.

It’s still possible that Fish has the baby today or tomorrow and it all becomes a moot point. And there’s no word on what Hamlin would do if the baby comes on Thursday or Friday, which would presumably give him enough time to make it to Mexico City in time for the race.

Like Hamlin and Fish, NASCAR fans are just going to have to wait and see when the baby decides to make its entrance into the world to know whether he’s going to race on Sunday. But if it’s not here by Thursday, it sounds like Hamlin has no plans of traveling to Mexico.The post Denny Hamlin Says He Will Skip NASCAR Race In Mexico City If His Child Isn’t Born Before He Has To Leave first appeared on Whiskey Riff.