NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin’s Father Killed, Mother Critically Injured in House Fire

Dennis Hamlin, the father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, has died after a fire at the family’s North Carolina home on Sunday.

Officials confirmed on Monday evening, Dec. 29, that Dennis Hamlin, 75, died from injuries he suffered in the blaze on Sunday, Dec. 28, Gaston County officials said, according to WCNC and NASCAR, citing the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services. Denny Hamlin’s mother, 69-year-old Mary Lou Hamlin, was reported to be critically injured.

Authorities said both Dennis and Mary Lou were able to get out of the house. Dennis was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Mary Lou is receiving treatment in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Officials have not shared details about the nature of Mary Lou’s injuries. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

The fire started shortly after 6:19 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 28, at the home, which Chief David Toomey of the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department confirmed belongs to Hamlin’s parents, NBC affiliate WCNC reported.

Chief Toomey said responders arrived to find about 45% of the home fully involved in flames. The house was deemed a total loss, though firefighters were able to recover some belongings from inside, he said.

Toomey told The Athletic there were “some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia” that were saved and “undamaged.”

The outlet reported that 10 to 15 fire departments responded because of the home’s roughly 3,700-square-foot size and its remote, wooded location without nearby fire hydrants.

It took firefighters more than two hours to put out the fire due to a local water shortage, according to WRAL.

In October, Hamlin told the Associated Press that his 75-year-old father had been battling a serious illness while speaking about the sacrifices his parents made to support his NASCAR career. Hamlin said his father “always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best.”

Calling his father “a big hype guy,” Hamlin also recalled the time they spent together over the years in his father’s garage, where he kept old memorabilia. “He’s got all my old memorabilia and it’s just good to reminisce,” Hamlin said. “He’s a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week.”