NEED TO KNOW
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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin dedicated his October victory to his father Dennis, two months before the 75-year-old died from injuries suffered in a house fire.
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Denny said his father was “the one who got me into racing” after October’s victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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Dennis died after being taken to the hospital, while Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, is hospitalized in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
NASCAR Star Dennis Hamlin dedicated his 60th victory in October to his father Dennis Hamlin, two months before the 75-year-old died from injuries suffered in a house fire on Sunday, December 28.
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“It really means a lot,” Hamlin, 45, said after his victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 12. He thanked fans for their support before greeting his father and his “home family” after the victory.
“We all know you earned this one for your dad,” Hamlin’s crew chief said. said at the time.
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Dennis Hamlin
In his press conference Afterward, Hamlin credited his father as “the one who got me into racing” and shared that his father started taking him to the track when he was 5 years old.
Hamlin added that his parents made “every financial sacrifice to keep me going,” and said his father “sold everything we had” during the press conference. “We almost lost our house a few times, just trying to keep going,” he said.
Hamlin also said it was “super important” for his father to see him win.
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The three-time winner of the Daytona 500 revealed to Associated Press In October, Dennis battled a serious illness in an interview in which he spoke about the sacrifices his parents made for his success in NASCAR.
Hamlin told the outlet that his father “always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best.”
He described his father as “a big, fashionable guy” and recalled spending time together in the garage over the years. “He has all my old memories and it’s just good to remember them…I just cherish the hours I get to spend with them every week,” Hamlin said.
Officials confirmed on the evening of Monday, December 29, that Dennis died in the fire that destroyed Hamlin’s 3,700 square foot home in Stanley, North Carolina. Denny’s mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, was “severely injured” in the fire, WCNC And NASCAR reported.
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The fire broke out shortly after 6:19 p.m. local time on Sunday, December 28. Authorities said both occupants were able to escape the home. Dennis was taken to hospital, where he later died. Mary Lou is hospitalized in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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