Fans are praying for a NASCAR legend following a fire at a house where his parents live.
According to WCNC-TV in Charlotte, officials in Gaston County, North Carolina responded to the home of Denny Hamlin’s parents on Sunday. One person is confirmed dead, and another is seriously hurt, according to the TV station, but they have not been identified.
Property records indicate the home is owned by Hamlin, who has 60 NASCAR Cup Series victories in his career and is widely regarded as the greatest driver in NASCAR history to never have won a championship.
It took nearly a dozen different departments two hours to extinguish the fire. The cause is under investigation.
“They had some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia and stuff, so all that was saved,” Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department Chief David Toomey told The Athletic.
“We were able to save all that and get it out so it wasn’t damaged.”
The department posted several photos of the blaze to Facebook.
Hamlin, NASCAR’s 2006 Cup Series rookie of the year and three-time Daytona 500 champion, finished second in the 2025 standings, losing to champion Kyle Larson by four points.
He won six races and had 14 top five finishes this season. Only legends like Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin. Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon have more Top 5 points finishes.
Hamlin also co-owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR team with NBA legend Michael Jordan and was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.
“This has been a horrible, horrible month for nascar and its drivers,” one person wrote in reference to the death of driver Greg Biffle and his family earlier this month. “Definitely keeping denny hamlin in my thoughts today. this world is so cruel.”
“Wish I could give Denny Hamlin a hug. This is just awful. I’m numb,” another fan wrote.