Father Nascar driver Denny Hamlin was killed and his mother was critically injured after a fire over the weekend severely damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday.
Firefighters responded Sunday evening to a two-story home near Stanley that was largely engulfed in flames, with flames coming through the attic, Gaston County Fire and Emergency Management said in a news release.
Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the home with serious injuries, officials said. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at the hospital, officials said.
Mary Lou Hamlin was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, where she was being treated Monday, officials said.
The fire led to the collapse of the structure. The cause is under investigation.
Stanley is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Charlotte.
The home is owned by Won One Real Estate, whose manager is listed as Denny Hamlin, according to local property tax records and business records filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State's Office.
Hamlin's representatives had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.
Hamlin is one of the preeminent 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 championship in points. He fell just short of the title during the season's final race in Arizona last month.
Weeks earlier, Hamlin said his father, who nearly went broke financially 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 this. I don't want him to go away and never see this moment,” Hamlin told The Associated Press.
Hamlin also mentioned his father in an emotional testimony earlier this month. federal antitrust case 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 in the trial before the jury even deliberated.
