NASCAR Grants Playoff Waiver to Denny Hamlin For Missing Mexico City

Denny Hamlin's quest to collect his first Bill France Cup will continue in 2025 as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was officially granted a Playoff Waiver by NASCAR. Hamlin will not compete this weekend in the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The 44-year-old, who has won three races this season, including last weekend's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, opted to remain at home with his family this weekend following the birth of his third child on Wednesday, June 11.

This weekend's race will mark the first time that Hamlin hasn't competed in a NASCAR Cup Series event since he missed the March 2014 event at Auto Club Speedway due to an object being lodged in his eye. Hamlin had competed in 406 consecutive races since that previous missed event in 2014.

Hamlin enters this weekend's event third in the championship standings, and is 82 points behind William Byron, the series point leader.

Ryan Truex, the primary simulator driver and the designated reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, will fill in for Hamlin as the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE in this weekend's event.

Truex has not competed in a NASCAR Cup Series event since the 2014 season, but has been the Toyota wheel force test driver in the NASCAR Next Gen car this season, and has been extensively preparing the Joe Gibbs Racing team for this weekend's race through his work in the simulator.

The younger brother of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. has won three NASCAR Xfinity Series races for the Joe Gibbs Racing organization in a part-time driving role.

Truex will attempt to maintain the third position in the NASCAR Cup Series Owner Point standings for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team in Sunday's Viva Mexico 250.

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