Dennis Hamlin, the father of NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin, has died at the age of 75 following a tragic house fire in North Carolina. He sustained severe injuries in the blaze, which broke out on December 28, and passed away the following day, according to local authorities.
The fire destroyed the Hamlin family home and also left Hamlin’s mother critically injured. The incident has sent shockwaves through the motorsports community, where Dennis Hamlin was widely known for his unwavering support of his son’s racing journey from its earliest days. Emergency officials and media reports have continued to provide updates as the investigation into the fire remains ongoing.
Fire Incident And Emergency Response In Gaston County That Took Dennis Hamlin’s Life
According to a news release issued Monday by Gaston County Emergency Management and Fire Services, and cited by Fox Sports and other outlets, the fire occurred at the home of Denny Hamlin’s parents in Gaston County, North Carolina. The residence is located roughly 20 miles west of Charlotte.
Authorities said Dennis Hamlin and his wife, Mary Lou Hamlin, were found outside their two-story home with catastrophic injuries, according to the Associated Press. Dennis Hamlin later died at a hospital from those injuries, while Mary Lou Hamlin was listed in critical condition and transferred to a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Firefighters worked for nearly two hours to bring the blaze under control. Lucia Riverbend Fire Department Chief David Toomey said that by the time crews arrived, roughly 40 to 45 percent of the home was already engulfed in flames.
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“They had some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia and stuff, so all that was saved,” Toomey told The Athletic. “We were able to save all that and get it out so it wasn’t damaged.”
Multiple reports also noted that the property is owned by Won One Real Estate, a company that lists Denny Hamlin as its manager.
Dennis Hamlin’s Sacrifices That Fueled Denny Hamlin’s Rise In NASCAR
Dennis Hamlin ran his own trailer business, but the income was often insufficient to support the family while his son pursued a racing career. To help fund Denny Hamlin’s climb through the NASCAR ranks, he took out two mortgages on the family home and sold four classic cars, making significant personal sacrifices before his son eventually became a multimillionaire driver.
Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, finished second in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series standings, narrowly losing the championship to Kyle Larson by four points. He has amassed 60 career Cup Series victories, tying him for 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
After earning his 60th career win in October, Hamlin spoke emotionally about his parents’ sacrifices, singling out his father’s role in shaping his career. “He’s the one that got me into racing and just took me to a racetrack when I was five and then made all the sacrifices financially to keep me going,” Hamlin said.
He added, “Sold everything they had and we almost lost our house a couple times and just tried to keep it all going.”
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Hamlin is also a co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan. Earlier this month, the team settled a multimillion-dollar antitrust lawsuit it and Front Row Motorsports had filed against NASCAR.
The tragedy comes amid ongoing nationwide concerns about residential fire safety. According to national estimates from the U.S. Fire Administration for 2023—the most recent data available—there were 344,600 residential building fires across the United States, resulting in 2,890 deaths and 10,400 injuries.
