Austin Wayne Self skipping Sonoma for paternity leave

Austin Wayne Self has backed out of Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Sonoma Raceway, but rather than the typical reasons for such actions like funding or suspension, he is doing it to potentially celebrate one of the greatest moments of his life. On Tuesday, his AM Racing team announced it will not enter the Sonoma event as Self plans to be with his wife Jennifer for their child’s birth later in the week.

“AM Racing has elected not to participate in Saturday’s Door Dash 250 at Sonoma Raceway as driver Austin Wayne Self and wife Jennifer are expecting the arrival of their first child later this week,” reads a team statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, the team has elected to forgo the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, so Austin can make his family top priority.”

Self is currently nineteenth in points with a pair of top tens. Although the team has fielded a part-time #37 truck alongside Self’s #22, AM will not do the same for Sonoma.

It is not uncommon for drivers to have a substitute in the event that their spouse goes into labour. Such a case happened as recently as last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland, where Kaz Grala served as Sheldon Creed‘s backup in the #2 should Creed’s wife Cami give birth.