NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin lost his father, Dennis, in a fire that ravaged his Stanley, North Carolina, home on Monday, Dec. 29. His mother, Mary Lou, was rushed to the hospital and remains critical. Officials from the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services are still investigating the cause of the fire. Hamlin’s father was 75 at the time of his death.
NASCAR veterans Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, and Richard Petty went on X (formerly Twitter) and sent their heartfelt tributes to Denny Hamlin’s father, Dennis. Busch, who used to be Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, wrote on X:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Denny and his family. It has really been a tough couple weeks on the NASCAR community.”
Martin, another NASCAR veteran, also shared his feelings on X.
“The entire @NASCAR community is just suffering,” Martin wrote. “I’m so sorry @dennyhamlin.”
Richard Petty, the winningest NASCAR driver of all time and NASCAR Hall of Famer, put up a post on X that read:
“Richard Petty and the Petty family extend their hearts and prayers to @dennyhamlin and the entire Hamlin family during this incredibly difficult time following the passing of his father. They are also praying for strength, healing, and peace for his mom.”
Denny Hamlin missed out on bagging a championship last season. He happens to be the longest-tenured active Cup Series driver without a championship. Hamlin finished his 2025 season second on points with a series-high six wins, including his 60th career victory, which came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 12.
When Denny Hamlin’s Father Spoke About His Son’s Racing Prowess
Well, Dennis played an unquestionable role in Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR career. Back in the day, when Denny was a little boy, Dennis and his wife, Mary Lou, used to save as much as they could to fund their son’s racing career.
Dennis knew how good his son was. He witnessed his son’s talent for the first time when the latter was tabbed to drive a go-kart at just seven years old.
“I saw his potential the first time I watched him drive a go-kart at 7 years old,” Dennis Hamlin said of his son back in 2006,” He wasn’t scared of anything. He could get on anything and just fly.”
It turns out that Dennis was the owner of Chesterfield Trailer and Hitch in Virginia, which was one of the earliest partners of Denny Hamlin before he was signed full-time by Joe Gibbs Racing.
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