A fire broke out at NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin's home in Gaston County, North Carolina, on Sunday night. Officials have since confirmed that Hamlin's father has passed away as a result of injuries caused by the fire, and that his mother is still dealing with injuries from the tragedy.
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Dennis Hamlin, who was 75, passed away on Monday night. Mary Lou Hamiln is currently receiving care in Winston-Salem, N.C. Further details on Mary Lou's injuries have not yet been revealed.
Fighterfighters were dispatched to the Hamlin residence at around 6:19 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, where they found the two-story home engulfed in flames. The home's structure would later collapse, and it would be deemed a total loss.
According to the AP, Dennis and Mary Lou were found outside the home when responders arrived. They had escaped the fire, but were suffering from serious injuries as a result. Denny shared in October that his father had also been suffering from a "serious illness" and was "dying."
How Denny Hamlin's Father Got Him Into Racing
Denny, who's now a three-time Daytona 500 winner, has been very honest about his father's role in his career, especially growing up. After winning his 60th NASCAR race this October, Hamlin talked about this influence. "He's the one who got me into racing, took me to the track when I was five, sold everything they had, you know, we almost lost our house a couple times, and just tried to keep it all going," Hamlin told CBS, "I'm just glad he was able to see 60."
Denny shared with the Richmond Times-Dispatch that, during his younger years, his father opened a trailer shop that he later used to start a family-owned racing team. "I worked at least 40 hours a week in the shop my senior year in high school," Hamlin said. "I didn't concentrate on my education as much as I should have, but we had a plan. And we didn't have money for college. If I didn't make it in racing, I was going to work in the trailer shop."
Hamlin credits his father's influence as a significant reason for his success as a racer today.
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