Ryan Truex replacing Denny Hamlin for inaugural Cup race at Mexico City

Ryan Truex will replace Denny Hamlin for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural event at Autódromo Hermanos in Mexico City.

The announcement was made on Thursday, June 12. Hamlin and his fiancée, Jordan Fish, welcomed the birth of their son, who was born this past Wednesday, June 11.

In the last two Cup races at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway, Truex was on standby. Hamlin, who was on baby watch, still ran both events in full.

However, on Tuesday, June 10, during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Hamlin made his decision clear. He wouldn’t race in Mexico if his fiancée hadn’t given birth by Thursday. Although she gave birth on Wednesday, Hamlin decided to stay home with his family. He will not race this weekend in Mexico.

“We are happy to announce the birth of our son,” Hamlin said in a released statement. “Everyone is doing well. My main priority is to be here at home for Jordan and our family over the next few days when she can go home and we transition to life as a family of five.

“I appreciate everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, our partners, and our fans for the support over the last few weeks,” Hamlin said. He continued, “And I look forward to being back at the track next weekend in Pocono.”

Hamlin is a three-time Cup winner in 2025 who recently reached 700 career starts. This will be the first race he’s missed since sitting out at Auto Club Speedway in March 2014 due to a vision-related sinus infection. In his absence, Joe Gibbs Racing will request a waiver to keep him eligible for the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs.

Meanwhile, Truex, a designated competitor for JGR and the younger brother of former Cup Series champion, Martin Truex Jr., will pilot Hamlin’s No. 11 Yahoo Toyota Camry XSE entry. It will be his 27th career start in NASCAR’s premier series. It will be his first start in the Cup division since competing for BK Racing at Chicagoland Speedway in September 2014. Truex will also make his first career start at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez across NASCAR’s top three national touring series.

The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series’ Viva Mexico 250 event in Mexico City will occur on Sunday, June 15. The event’s broadcast time will commence at 3 p.m. ET on Prime Video.