STANLEY, N.C. (WBTV) – The mother of NASCAR star Denny Hamlin “continues to improve” after being seriously injured in a Gaston County house fire that killed her husband last weekend.
Dennis Hamlin, father of NASCAR driver and team-owner Denny Hamlin, died on Sunday, Dec. 28 after a massive fire broke out at a home in Stanley, North Carolina. Dennis Hamlin’s wife Mary Lou Hamlin was seriously injured.
Photos shared by the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department showed the main part of the house engulfed in tall flames, with much of the home gone by the time the fire was out.(Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department)
Denny Hamlin posted to social media on Wednesday, Dec. 31 for the first time since the deadly house fire. He thanked his fans for their support, and gave an update on his mother.
“My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time,” Denny Hamlin wrote on social media.
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Officials said both of Denny Hamlin’s parents were able to exit the burning home, and were taken to the hospital. Dennis Hamlin, 75, died at the hospital due to his injuries. Mary Lou Hamlin suffered “catastrophic” injuries from the fire, and was taken to a burn center in Winston-Salem.
The house fire appeared to happen on or near the couple’s 52nd wedding anniversary, and just days after Christmas. The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Denny Hamlin has previously said that his father sparked his interest in racing, and that his parents “sacrificed everything” for him to succeed.
“He’s my No. 1 hype man when it comes to confidence,” Denny Hamlin previously said in a social media post. “Him and my mom just had so much sacrifice that they endured to keep me going, to keep their son’s dreams alive.”
** FILE ** Denny Hamlin, center, watches the competition with his mother, Mary Lou, left, and father, Dennis, while waiting for results during qualifying for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., in this Sept. 8, 2006 file photo. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)(STEVE HELBER | ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Just two months before his father’s death, Denny Hamlin dedicated his milestone 60th career win in Las Vegas to his father.
“We all know you earned that one for your dad,” Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, said over the in-car radio. “We all know.”
NASCAR released a statement this week mourning the loss of Dennis Hamlin, saying the father “instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport.”
FILE – Denny Hamlin is introduced before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)(Rick Scuteri | AP)
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