Denny Hamlin speaks out on father’s death in massive fire

· New York Post

Denny Hamlin is speaking out after the tragic death of his father, Dennis. 

The NASCAR star took to social media on Wednesday to mourn his dad, who died at age 75 after sustaining injuries from a house fire earlier this week. 

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” Hamlin 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.”

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, reacts after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025 in Avondale, Ariz. Getty Images

Dennis and his wife, Mary Lou, and Denny’s mother, lived in the house in Stanley, N.C.

The couple were able to escape the home and were later taken to a nearby hospital, where Dennis was pronounced dead. 

Mary Lou was in critical condition and hospitalized after the incident.

Denny Hamlin’s parents, Denny and Mary Lou. Facebook/Mary Lou Clark Hamlin

She has since been transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem, according to Fox News.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The fire was reported to emergency personnel at 6:19 p.m. Eastern on Sunday evening.

A fire broke out at a Stanley, N.C. home owned by NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin on Sunday, December 28, 2025. Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department

Chief David Toomey of the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department Toomey told local outlet WSOC-TV that 40-45 percent of Dennis and Mary Lou’s home was already on fire by the time emergency crews arrived.

Denny, 45, is one of the top NASCAR drivers in the history of the sport. 

He is tied for 10th on the NASCAR Cup Series’ all-time win list with 60 and has won three Daytona 500 races.