NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin's father dies after fire, mother critically injured

2 days ago 33

NASCAR operator Denny Hamlin's begetter died from injuries helium suffered successful a location occurrence Sunday successful North Carolina, officials said. Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, has ever credited his father's sacrifices and enactment for his occurrence connected the track.

The father, Dennis Hamlin, was 75. Denny Hamlin's mother, 69-year-old Mary Lou Hamlin, was critically injured successful the blaze astatine the couple's location successful Gaston County and is presently hospitalized. The occurrence is nether investigation.

Firefighters arrived astatine the two-story location Sunday nighttime to find it mostly engulfed by the fire, and the operation yet collapsed, The Associated Press reported. The location is located successful the municipality of Stanley, astir 20 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Firefighters recovered Hamlin's parents extracurricular aft they narrowly escaped the flames and some were rushed to the hospital. Mary Lou Hamlin was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center successful Winston-Salem, wherever officials said she was successful captious condition. Dennis Hamlin did not past his injuries.

The calamity for Denny Hamlin, 45, comes aft the NASCAR champion won his 60th contention successful October — a triumph helium dedicated to his father, whose wellness had been connected the diminution for immoderate time. It was a milestone that Hamlin said helium could not person achieved without his father's sacrifices.

"He's the 1 who got maine into racing, took maine to the way erstwhile I was five, sold everything they had, you know, we astir mislaid our location a mates times, and conscionable tried to support it each going," Hamlin said astatine the October race, adding: "I'm conscionable gladsome helium was capable to spot 60."

Hamlin besides spoke astir his father's wellness successful October, telling AP that his dada was battling a superior unwellness and did not person a batch of clip left.

"I cognize for a information this is my past accidental for my dada to spot it. I don't privation him going and ne'er getting to spot the moment," Hamlin said.

The location that caught occurrence is owned by the institution Won One Real Estate, which lists Denny Hamlin arsenic its manager, according to AP, which cited section spot taxation records and a concern papers filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State's Office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.