NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s father, Dennis Hamlin, has died in a house fire, while his mother remains in critical condition
Denny Hamlin is mourning an unfathomable loss. Dennis Hamlin, the father of the NASCAR driver, passed away after being hurt in a house fire on December 28. He was seventy-five. Mary Lou Hamlin, Denny's mother, 69, is still in critical condition at the hospital.
First responders arrived at the Hamlin family's Gaston County, North Carolina house at 6:27 local time following a report of a fire. According to NASCAR, authorities reported that two individuals managed to flee the fire but were taken to a local hospital with potentially fatal injuries.
Dennis's passing was verified in a news release by the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services the next day. Mary Lou, on the other hand, was moved to a hospital in Winston-Salem, which is roughly 80 miles north of Charlotte.
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The family's whole four-bedroom home was destroyed by the fire, which took about two hours to put out because there wasn't enough water nearby, according to WCNC, which cited the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department. An investigation is still underway to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Denny, 45, has attributed his success to his father's sacrifices during his illustrious career, revealing that Dennis had taken out several home mortgages and maxed out credit cards to support his son's racing aspirations.
“He’s the one that got me into racing and took me to a racetrack when I was five,” according to the Associated Press, an emotional Hamlin revealed following his 60th professional triumph in September. “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 father of three went on. “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.”
Denny revealed that his father was fighting a severe illness prior to the November Cup Series Championship race, and he was making the most of every second for Dennis.
“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it,” he stated. “I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment.”
