Denny Hamlin was on baby watch at both Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway in recent weeks, with longtime partner Jordan Fish expecting the couple's third child, and Ryan Truex was on standby for Joe Gibbs Racing as the backup driver of the No. 11 Toyota.
Hamlin was indeed able to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series races at both Nashville and Michigan, and he performed well in both, placing third in Nashville after winning a stage and then winning the race at Michigan, but he opted not to travel to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico this past weekend.
Hamlin's decision was announced on Thursday, when he revealed that the baby boy had been born, and Truex was confirmed as his replacement.
Truex made his first Cup Series start since September 2014 in this 100-lap race around the 15-turn, 2.429-mile (3.909-kilometer) road course in Mexico City, Mexico, and it marked Hamlin's first absence since March 2014, ending a 406-race streak. Truex finished in 23rd after starting 36th.
Denny Hamlin expected back at Pocono
Hamlin dropped two places (third to fifth) in the point standings after scoring no points during the weekend, but he was quickly granted a playoff waiver, meaning that he retains the playoff eligibility that he had already earned by winning three races earlier this year.
Additionally, because the birth of a child is considered a medical reason for an absence, Hamlin is set to retain the 18 playoff points he has earned this year, thanks to his three race wins and three stage wins.
Hamlin is expected to return for this coming Sunday afternoon's race at Pocono Raceway, where he is a seven-time winner and won most recently in 2023.
Given the fact that drivers score more bonus playoff points ahead of the four-round, 10-race postseason, based on where they finish in the regular season point standings, Hamlin will be looking to make up some of the ground he lost in Mexico in Sunday's 160-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) "Tricky Triangle" in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
He will also be looking to become the first driver to reach four wins this year, having already won at Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Michigan, with what would be a record-extending eighth Pocono win.
Teammate Christopher Bell and Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson are the other two drivers with three wins so far this season. Nobody else has more than one.
The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA is the 17th race on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and it is set to be shown live on Amazon Prime Video from Pocono Raceway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 22. This race is the fifth and final race on Prime's portion of this year's broadcast schedule.