Overview
- Fresh off his June 8 victory at Michigan International Speedway, Hamlin stayed in North Carolina to welcome his third child on June 11.
- Ryan Truex, who hasn’t started a Cup race since 2014, will pilot the No. 11 Toyota in Mexico City on June 15.
- NASCAR’s rules classify childbirth as a valid medical exemption and a waiver request is expected to preserve Hamlin’s accumulated playoff points.
- Hamlin’s absence ends a streak of 406 consecutive Cup starts dating to 2014, though he plans to return at Pocono Raceway on June 22.
- Fans and fellow drivers have voiced broad support for Hamlin’s choice to prioritize family over the inaugural Mexico City event.