Tragedy in the World of Motorsports: Denny Hamlin’s Father Passes Away
A regrettable piece of news shakes the NASCAR world. Dennis Hamlin, father of the renowned driver Denny Hamlin, passed away and his mother was seriously injured after a fire that devastated their home in North Carolina, according to authorities on Monday.
Firefighters responded Sunday night to a two-story residence near Stanley, finding the building engulfed in flames, with the fire visible through the attic, according to a press release from the Gaston County Emergency Management and Fire Services Office.
Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the house with catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin later died at a hospital from his injuries, according to authorities.
Mary Lou Hamlin was transported to the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, where she was being treated on Monday, authorities reported.
The fire caused the structure to collapse. The cause is under investigation.
Stanley is located about 20 miles northwest of Charlotte.
The property belongs to a company called Won One Real Estate, which has Denny Hamlin as manager, according to local tax records and a business registration document filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.
By Monday evening, Hamlin’s representatives had not responded to requests for comment.
Hamlin is one of the most prominent drivers in NASCAR’s premier category, with 60 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, including three in the Daytona 500.
The 45-year-old driver for the Joe Gibbs Racing team has yet to win a Cup points championship. He fell short of the title during the final race of this season in Arizona last month.
Weeks earlier, Hamlin revealed that his father, who nearly went broke with financial sacrifices to try to boost his son in NASCAR, was battling a serious illness and didn’t have much time left.
I know for sure that this is my last chance for my father to see it. I don’t want him to leave without seeing the moment.
Hamlin also mentioned his father in an emotional testimony this month at the start of a federal antitrust trial against NASCAR filed in part by 23XI Racing, owned by Hamlin and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and another racing team reached a settlement during the trial before the jurors deliberated.
