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Denny Hamlin Warns Ryan Truex While Throwing Shade at Aric Almirola

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kyle Dalton | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 1:24 PM ET

Denny Hamlin was one of the main headlines this week with the birth of his first son. The other big news story was Mexico City and the first international points-paying race in the NASCAR Cup Series since 1958.

For the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, the former affected the latter as he opted to stay home and skip the trip south of the border to tend to his wife and newborn baby.

Substituting in the No. 11 car this weekend is Ryan Truex, the younger brother of Hamlin’s former JGR teammate Martin, who won the first Xfinity race in the country. On Friday, the younger Truex met with the media and talked about a variety of topics, including his brother’s advice and his penchant for one-line responses.

Fox’s Bob Pockrass shared a video of Truex talking about subbing for Hamlin, which prompted a response from the 44-year-old driver back home in North Carolina.

“Make sure he keeps his head on a swivel,” Hamlin wrote. “Im known to show up mid race and tap you on the shoulder.”

Aric Almirola knows this all too well and it’s a bittersweet memory for the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver. It was 2007 and his first win in the Xfinity Series. However, he wasn’t in Victory Lane after the race.

Make sure he keeps his head on a swivel, Im known to show up mid race and tap you on the shoulder. https://t.co/zVu5R7UgwM
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) June 13, 2025

It was the infamous driver swap mid-race when Hamlin, who was originally slated to drive the No. 20 JGR car at the Milwaukee Mile due to a sponsor commitment, was late arriving to the track before the race because he had been in Sonoma with the Cup Series. Almirola qualified the car on the pole and was running in the top three on Lap 43 of the race when Hamlin arrived at the track.

When a caution came out on Lap 57, the sponsor made the call and Almirola was ordered to come down pit road a couple of laps later and the drivers swapped.

Due to issues getting Hamlin fitted for the car, he went a lap down. However, to his credit, he got back on the lead lap, took the lead late and won the race.

While technically Almirola’s first win, he didn’t show up in Victory Lane, declined all interviews and quietly left the track after the swap.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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