Denny Hamlin, a star driver in Nascar's Cup Series, is mourning the death of his father, Dennis Hamlin, who died in a house fire on Sunday night. His mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, was critically injured and remains in hospital.
Firefighters arrived at a two-storey home near Stanley, North Carolina, to find the building engulfed in flames. Dennis, 75, and Mary Lou, 69, were found outside with catastrophic injuries. Dennis later died at hospital, while Mary Lou was transferred to a burn centre in Winston-Salem.
The fire caused the structure to collapse, and the cause remains under investigation. The property is owned by a company listing Denny Hamlin as manager, according to public records.
Hamlin, 45, has won 60 Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times. He recently spoke about his father's serious illness, calling it his 'last chance' for his father to see him win a championship. He also mentioned his father in emotional testimony during a federal antitrust trial against Nascar earlier this month.
Representatives for Hamlin had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.
