NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin’s Dad Dennis Hamlin Dead After House Fire, Mom Critically Injured

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s dad Dennis Hamlin died after suffering injuries in a Dec. 28 house fire. Denny’s mom Mary Lou Hamlin remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Denny Hamlin is grieving an unimaginable loss.

The NASCAR driver’s dad Dennis Hamlin died after sustaining injuries in a Dec. 28 house fire. He was 75. Meanwhile, Denny’s mom Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

At 6:27 local time, first responders arrived at the Hamlin family’s home in Gaston County, North Carolina after a fire was reported. Authorities, according to NASCAR, shared that two people escaped the blaze but suffered life threatening injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The following day, the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services confirmed in a news release that Dennis had died. For her part, Mary Lou was transferred to a hospital in Winston-Salem, about 80 miles north of Charlotte.

The fire—which took nearly two hours to extinguish due to a lack of water in the area—destroyed the family’s entire four-bedroom house, WCNC reported, citing the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined and an investigation is ongoing.

Throughout his storied career, Denny, 45, has credited his dad’s sacrifices for his success, sharing that Dennis had taken out multiple home mortgages and maxed out credit cards to support his son’s racing dreams.

“He’s the one that got me into racing and took me to a racetrack when I was five,” an emotional Hamlin said in September after his 60th career victory, according to the Associated Press. “Then made all the sacrifices financially to keep me going, sold everything we had, we almost lost our house a couple times to just try to keep it going.”

“He always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best,” the dad of three continued. “He’s a big hype guy and I sat in his garage and talked with him, he’s got all my old memorabilia and it’s just good to reminisce. He’s a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week.”

Ahead of the November Cup Series Championship race, Denny shared his father was battling a serious illness—and he was making every moment count for Dennis.

“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it,” he said. “I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment.”