BROOKLYN, Mich. — Denny Hamlin is still on baby watch entering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
Hamlin and fiancée Jordan Fish are awaiting the birth of their third child at any moment, and Hamlin is prepared to head back to North Carolina if he gets the call ahead of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
MORE: Michigan schedule | Michigan photos
The couple was anticipating the newborn’s arrival last week when Hamlin was racing at Nashville, but that wait continues.
“Just patiently waiting,” Hamlin said Saturday. ‘Thought we’d be almost a week in by now, but just patiently waiting.”
Though Hamlin is ready to head back east at a moment’s notice, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota wasn’t quite sure of his imminent Saturday plans.
“We’re gonna wait to see where her symptoms are at,” he said. “I’ve got some meetings and whatnot here first. So after that’s over, see where her symptoms (are) at and if she has any then certainly we’ll go back.”
If Hamlin is back east by the start of Sunday’s race, three-time Xfinity Series race winner Ryan Truex is prepared to step in as Hamlin’s reserve driver. Truex has made 102 Xfinity starts, including in this year’s season opener at Daytona, in addition to 26 Cup Series starts, though none since 2014.
“He’s been working in the sim to get acclimated,” Hamlin said of Truex. “I was worried about him reaching my pedals first of all. But it sounds like he fits fine. If they had overnight to adjust it, if that’s the case, if I get called tonight, they’ll be able to move the pedals back to make it all fit right for him. But overall, we’re basically the same kind of body size, so he’ll take over.”
The plan is for the baby to arrive ahead of next weekend’s inaugural Cup race in Mexico City, but also clarified any decisions made are dependent on the urgency of the situation and is leaving the calls to his pregnant fiancée — including the option of missing next week’s race in Mexico “if I had to,” Hamlin said.
“I’m gonna leave the call entirely up to her,” he said.
Read the full article here
