NASCAR legend Denny Hamlin has spoken out for the first time since his father was killed in a devastating house fire at the weekend.
A huge blaze was reported at 6:19pm on Sunday night at a North Carolina home owned by motor racing hero Hamlin, with the local fire chief revealing that his parents, mother Mary Lou and father Dennis, lived at the address.
It was later confirmed that Dennis, 75, died from injuries suffered in the blaze, while Mary Lou was transferred to a burns center in Winston-Salem to be ‘actively treated’ for her own injuries after being left in a critical condition.
Three days on from the tragic fire, Hamlin has broken his silence on social media to express gratitude for the ‘outpouring of support’ and reveal that his mother’s condition is improving.
‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,’ he wrote on X. ‘My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.’
When firefighters arrived at the scene on Sunday, Dennis and Mary Lou were already outside after the latter pulled her husband out of the home to save him, according to Spectrum Local News. He later died at hospital.
NASCAR legend Denny Hamlin has spoken out on the death of his father (left) in a house fire
The publication quoted neighbor Michael Minando saying: ‘I don’t want to get emotional, but you do when you hear that the woman tried to drag her husband out, and he didn’t make it. It’s very sad. My heart goes out to them.’
In October, during an interview with Associated Press, Hamlin revealed that father Dennis was terminally ill but did not say precisely what his condition was.
Explaining that his father would not be on hand to watch him try and win November’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, he said: ‘I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment.’
When he recorded his 60th win in Las Vegas in September, Hamlin fought tears when he spoke with reporters afterwards about the sacrifices his father had made for him to pursue his career.
‘He was just so happy and he always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best,’ Hamlin said.
‘He’s a big hype guy and I sat in his garage and talked with him, he’s got all my old memorabilia and it’s just good to reminisce.
‘He’s a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week.’
Born in Tampa, Hamlin was raised by his parents in central Virginia before getting his start on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. The 45-year-old now has 60 career wins over 718 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
Firefighters reportedly found Hamlin’s parents outside the home when they arrived on Sunday
Hamlin’s father Dennis, pictured alongside his wife Mary Lou, was 75 when he died on Sunday
Hamlin launched the 23XI racing team alongside close friend Michael Jordan in 2020
In 2020, he launched the 23XI racing team alongside his long-time friend, the NBA great Michael Jordan, although he continues to race for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The heartbreaking fire came after Hamlin and Jordan’s emotional courtroom victory over NASCAR in Charlotte earlier this month.
It also follows another tragedy within the NASCAR family this month: the deaths of driver Greg Biffle, his wife Christina Grossu, and their children, Ryder Jack and Emma Elizabeth in a North Carolina plane crash.
The 55-year-old’s Cessna C550 private jet was seen burning on a runway at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15am on December 18, according to authorities, who reported six deaths in total.
