GASTON COUNTY, N.C. – The NASCAR community is mourning the loss of a driver’s father.
Denny Hamlin’s father, Dennis, was killed in a fire at his Gaston County house Sunday night. Hamlin’s mother was critically injured and is being treated at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center.
What You Need To Know
The NASCAR community is reeling from loss
Driver Denny Hamlin’s father died after Hamlin’s mother pulled him out of their burning Gaston County home Sunday night
Hamlin’s mother was badly burned and is still receiving medical treatment
Hamlin is an anticipated Hall of Famer, and his father is credited with helping him establish his career
Firefighters arrived at the house on Blacksnake Road just before 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Video from the fire shows flames engulfing the Hamlins’ home. According to Gaston County officials, when firefighters arrived, Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were already outside.
Chief David Toomey of the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department confirmed Mary Lou Hamlin pulled Dennis Hamlin out of the home to save him.
“I don’t want to get emotional, but you do when you hear that the woman tried to drag her husband out, and he didn’t make it,” Michael Minando, a neighbor, said. “It’s very sad. My heart goes out to them.”
Just two months before Dennis Hamlin died, Denny Hamlin dedicated his 60th cup series race win to his dad. Dennis Hamlin was unable to travel to the race in Las Vegas. His son told the Associated Press his dad was battling a serious illness.
Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 29, 2022, in Concord, N.C. (AP File Photo/Matt Kelley)
Denny Hamlin was first introduced to racing by his dad when he was 5. When Hamlin decided to pursue racing professionally, his dad started a family-owned racing team. He took out two mortgages on their house and sold four classic cars to make ends meet.
“Denny’s parents, to me, are the quintessential parents that wanted to help their child reach their dreams,” Winston Kelley, the executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, said. “They did everything, anything and everything that they could to help them get to that point.”
Neighbors said the Hamlins’ home was full of memorabilia from Denny’s NASCAR career, and their garage was filled with classic cars. Toomey said firefighters saved the memorabilia and several cars.
The pain of losing Dennis Hamlin is being felt throughout the NASCAR community.
“Dennis and Mary Lou were always there supporting Denny from the time, you know, he started in the entry levels of NASCAR to be able to support them,” Kelley said. “So they were a part of that family and are and always will be a part of the family.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
NASCAR released the following statement after Dennis Hamlin’s death:
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family. Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”
The NASCAR community is also still reeling from the loss of retired driver Greg Biffle and his family, who were killed on Dec. 18 when a Cessna C550 plane they were traveling in crashed.
