Denny Hamlin’s father, Dennis Hamlin, passed away, and his mother, Mary Lou, suffered severe injuries following a house fire on Sunday evening.
Emergency services received an alert at 6:19 p.m. ET concerning a fire in Stanley, North Carolina. Various news outlets reported that Dennis and Mary Lou were outside their property upon the arrival of fire personnel and were subsequently transported to a medical facility. Multiple fire brigades participated in extinguishing the inferno due to the absence of water hydrants in the Hamlin family’s neighborhood.
On Monday evening, Gaston County Emergency Medical Services verified that Dennis Hamlin succumbed to injuries from the blaze, and Mary Lou was undergoing continuous medical care at a Winston-Salem hospital.
According to The Athletic, a declaration from Gaston EMS indicated that both Hamlins endured “catastrophic injuries” from the conflagration.
The property is held by a real estate firm under Denny Hamlin’s management.
Dennis Hamlin’s health had deteriorated in the autumn of 2025. Following his victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which secured his opportunity for the championship, Denny Hamlin became emotional, contemplating the sacrifices his family undertook to support his aspirations in motorsports.
“I just want to express gratitude to him for essentially dedicating his and my mother’s existence to chasing my ambitions,” Hamlin expressed when questioned post-race about his message to his father after the win. “My parents were financially constrained. They held very typical jobs, yet they discovered a method. It’s a method I would never advise anyone to pursue. Every credit card arriving by post, ‘Alright, we’ll utilize it.’ Requesting assistance from others. Taking out second and third mortgages on the residence. All these efforts. The disputes I overheard. I’d be in my room, and my mother and father would be arguing intensely. One would declare, ‘I can’t continue this any longer.’ The other would plead, ‘Just one more week, please.'”
Prior to the championship event in Phoenix, Hamlin stated his awareness that this represented his father’s final chance to witness him secure the title.
“I am certain this is the ultimate opportunity for my father to witness it,” Hamlin communicated to the AP in October. “I wish for him not to depart without experiencing that moment.”
The 45-year-old Hamlin dominated the competition at Phoenix, appearing poised for a win. Nonetheless, a tire issue affecting co-contender William Byron triggered a late caution period, leading Hamlin to leave the pit lane trailing the eventual Cup Series victor Kyle Larson due to divergent team pit approaches. Consequently, Hamlin failed to overtake Larson during the race’s concluding two laps, resulting in Larson claiming his second Cup Series championship.
Several weeks following the championship event, Hamlin achieved a significant triumph in a North Carolina federal court, as 23XI Racing, the team he co-possesses with Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports reached an agreement in their antitrust legal challenge against NASCAR. This resolution led NASCAR to award enduring charters to all Cup Series teams. The absence of such permanent charters was a primary factor fueling the legal action.
