Hamlin could miss Mexico City for birth of third child

Denny Hamlin is still awaiting the arrival of his third child with fiancé Jordan Fish and as race weekend again grows closer, his priority is set.

“I said from the very beginning, if she hasn’t had it by the time I need to leave for Mexico, then I’m not going to go to Mexico,” Hamlin said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think that’s the proper thing to do. But really, (I’m) just letting her call the shots. I think that’s the best thing. 

“When her body and her mind say that it’s time, then that’s what we’ll do. And ultimately, I need to be there for her during, post and all those things. (I’m) just going to make sure I spend the proper time with her, and obviously the racing will come second this week.”

A majority of the industry will travel to Mexico together on Thursday. The on-track activity begins Friday.

Ryan Truex, the younger brother of former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., is the contracted reserve driver for Gibbs should any of its drivers need to miss an event, and is on standby to step in as Hamlin's replacement.

The birth of a child is an excused absence by NASCAR and Hamlin would receive a playoff waiver. NASCAR tweaked its waiver policy during the offseason to narrow the scope of who will receive a playoff waiver and for what reason without having to forfeit any playoff points. 

Hamlin and Fish are preparing to welcome a boy. He will be the first boy in the family alongside older sisters Taylor and Molly. The due date for Fish was June 1, the day of the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway and Hamlin made it through the weekend without issue. It was the same for Michigan International Speedway, where Hamlin won.

Sunday’s event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will be the first time the Cup Series has competed there. It will be the first points-paying international race for the Cup Series since the late 1950s.