Denny Hamlin Eagerly Awaits Baby Arrival at Michigan Race

Denny Hamlin remains on alert as he prepares for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway this Sunday. He and his fiancée, Jordan Fish, are awaiting the birth of their third child, and Hamlin is ready to leave for North Carolina immediately if needed.

Their baby’s arrival was expected last week when Hamlin competed at Nashville, but that moment has yet to come. On Saturday, Hamlin said, “Just patiently waiting. Thought we’d be almost a week in by now, but just patiently waiting.”

Everything depends on how Fish is feeling as the race weekend gears up. Hamlin explained that he has some meetings scheduled and will decide what to do afterward.

If Fish experiences any symptoms, he plans to head home, even if it means missing the race at Michigan. In case Hamlin needs to leave before Sunday, Ryan Truex is set to stand in as his replacement.

Truex, who has won three Xfinity Series races and started 26 Cup Series races, has been preparing on the simulator and making sure all equipment fits correctly. Hamlin mentioned they have similar builds, so adjustments should be minimal if a swap is needed.

The team’s hope is for the baby to arrive before next week’s first-ever Cup race in Mexico City. Hamlin said the decision about his schedule is fully up to Fish.

He made it clear that missing the Mexico race is an option if the situation calls for it. Hamlin affirmed, “I’m gonna leave the call entirely up to her.”

On the competition side, Chase Briscoe grabbed his third consecutive pole at Michigan, marking his sixth career pole position. Briscoe’s qualifying lap clocked in at 36.826 seconds, reaching 195.514 mph around the two-mile track.

He expressed relief after holding on to pole position by just 0.027 seconds ahead of Kyle Busch, who matched his season-best qualifying effort with second place and is looking to end a winless streak of 71 races.

Hamlin landed third in qualifying, balancing his race ambitions with family priorities. William Byron, the series points leader, will start fourth, with Kyle Larson in fifth and Chris Buescher, the defending winner, in sixth position.

The rest of the top ten includes Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith. Drivers like Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, and Christopher Bell have all secured playoff spots thanks to recent wins.

Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will also compete, with Hocevar starting 14th and Stenhouse in 30th. The FireKeepers Casino 400 is set for Sunday, June 8, with the green flag flying at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be on Prime Video, with radio broadcasts available through Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Everyone will be watching Hamlin both on the track and for news off it as the weekend unfolds in Michigan.