NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s father died and his mother was seriously injured after a weekend fire that severely damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday.
Firefighters arrived Sunday evening at a two-story home near Stanley that was largely engulfed in fire, with flames shooting through the attic, the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services said in a news release.
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Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the home suffering from catastrophic injuries, officials said. Dennis Hamlin later died of his injuries at a hospital, officials said.
Mary Lou Hamlin was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, where she was treated Monday, officials said.
The fire caused the structure to collapse. The cause is under investigation.
Stanley is located approximately 20 miles northwest of Charlotte.
The home is owned by a company called Won One Real Estate that lists Denny Hamlin as its principal, according to local property tax records and a business document filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office.
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Representatives for Hamlin had not responded to requests for comment Monday evening.
Hamlin is one of the marquee drivers on NASCAR’s top circuit, having won 60 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times.
The 45-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver has yet to win a Cup points championship. He failed to win the title during the final race of the season in Arizona last month.
A few weeks earlier, Hamlin said his father — who nearly went bankrupt making financial sacrifices to try to get his son into NASCAR — was battling a serious illness and didn’t have much time left to live.
“I know for a fact that this is my last chance for my dad to see him. I don’t want him to go there and never get to see this moment,” Hamlin told the Associated Press.
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Hamlin also mentioned his father in emotional testimony this month at the start of a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR brought in part by 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. NASCAR, 23XI Racing and another racing team reached a settlement during the trial before jurors had deliberated.
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