NASCAR releases official statement after Denny Hamlin’s father tragically passed away in house fire

NASCAR shared its condolences with Denny Hamlin's family after a house fire tragically took his father's life. The sanctioning body credited Dennis Hamlin for producing a 'world-class talent' in the JGR driver.

Hamlin's 75-year-old father, Dennis, succumbed to his injuries despite escaping the house fire that burned down 45 per cent of his North Carolina Home. When the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department arrived at the scene, both Dennis and his wife, Mary Lou, were found outside with 'catastrophic injuries'.

Lou, however, is still in critical condition and has been transported to a burn center in Winston-Salem. The tragic loss comes after Hamlin hinted at a life-threatening ailment for his father during the 2025 playoffs.

NASCAR, on its part, offered a solemn tribute in honour of Dennis, writing,

“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family. Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

Several NASCAR stars have also extended their support for Denny Hamlin, including his JGR teammate, Chase Briscoe and seven-time Cup champion, Richard Petty.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined due to extensive structural collapse of the four-bedroom property. Nonetheless, the investigation is ongoing and a final report is expected soon.

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Kyle Larson mourns Denny Hamlin's father after High Limit International win

Kyle Larson secured his second consecutive High Limit International win at Perth Motorplex in Australia. During his post-race interview, the 2025 Cup Series champion called attention to Denny Hamlin's tragic loss and offered his sympathies.

"Denny's a great friend of mine, and family is really important to him, and yeah, that was terrible news. It's been a rough, troublesome year for him with a lot of stress and pressure, and to end the year like that is just terrible," Larson said "But he's a strong human, and he's got great support behind him, so he'll be just fine, and we'll get battling on the racetrack again soon," he added.

Kyle Busch also extended his support for Denny Hamlin. The Richard Childress Racing driver noted how it's been a 'tough couple of weeks' for the NASCAR community. Following Michael Annett's death and Greg Biffle's unfortunate plane crash, Dennis Hamlin's passing marks a somber end to the year.

Moreover, Hamlin is coming off a heartbreak of a 2025 season, where he saw his title hopes slip away on the final few laps. Notably, it was his last chance to win the Cup title in front of his ailing father. The 45-year-old now enters his 21st season with two years left on his JGR contract.

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Edited by Vignesh Kanna