![\"Denny](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Denny-Hamlin-2023-Playoff-Media-Day-e1708553305752.jpeg\")
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Denny Hamlin talks to reporters.<\/p>\n
Denny Hamlin has spoken publicly for the first time since a deadly house fire took the life of his father, Dennis Hamlin. The fire happened at the family home in Stanley, North Carolina. Hamlin\u2019s mother, Mary Lou Hamlin<\/a>, suffered serious injuries and remains in recovery.<\/p>\n Hamlin shared a short message on social media, thanking fans, friends, and the racing community for their support. The message came during a difficult holiday period for the veteran driver and team owner.<\/p>\n Authorities<\/a> confirmed the fire caused major damage to the home and resulted in a tragic outcome despite a fast emergency response. As news spread, support<\/a> poured in from across NASCAR, with drivers, teams, and fans offering messages of sympathy and prayer.<\/p>\n Hamlin shares update after family tragedy<\/p>\n Hamlin addressed the situation in a direct and emotional post, focusing on gratitude and his mother\u2019s condition. \u201cThank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father\u2019s passing, Hamlin wrote<\/a>.\u201d \u201cMy mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Local officials confirmed that the fire broke out late Sunday night and spread quickly through the residence. Dennis Hamlin later died from severe injuries. Emergency crews airlifted Mary Lou Hamlin to a nearby hospital, where she continues to receive care. Gaston County EMS confirmed its teams responded rapidly but could not prevent the loss.<\/p>\n NASCAR and drivers react to the loss<\/p>\n NASCAR released an official statement following the news. \u201cNASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family, the statement read<\/a>.\u201d \u201cDennis 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\u2019s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n Several drivers also shared public messages. \u201cMy thoughts and prayers go out to Denny Hamlin. Such a horrific situation. The Logano family will continue to think of and pray for everyone, Joey Logano wrote<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Kyle Busch added<\/a>, \u201cOur thoughts and prayers are with Denny and his family. It has really been a tough couple of weeks for the NASCAR community.\u201d \u201cKyle Larson said<\/a>, Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hamlin family and their loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConnor Zilisch wrote<\/a>, Man, praying for the Hamlin family tonight. What a horrible few weeks it has been for our community.\u201d Chase Briscoe shared<\/a>, \u201cThoughts and prayers for my buddy Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family.\u201d<\/p>\n Legacy of Dennis Hamlin and continued support<\/p>\n Dennis Hamlin played a major role in his son\u2019s racing journey, supporting him from early karting days through a Cup Series career that includes 60 wins and three Daytona 500 victories. Many within the sport credit Dennis for his sacrifices and steady presence behind the scenes.<\/p>\n Richard Petty and the Petty family also released a statement<\/a>. \u201cRichard Petty and the Petty family extend their hearts and prayers to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family during this incredibly difficult time following the passing of his father. They are also praying for strength, healing, and peace for his mom.\u201d<\/p>\n As Hamlin steps away to focus on his family, the NASCAR community continues to show support. The messages reflect a shared sense of loss and unity during one of the sport\u2019s most difficult moments.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Denny Hamlin talks to reporters. Denny Hamlin has spoken publicly for the first time since a deadly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-382105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}