RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin died and his mother was critically injured after a weekend fire heavily damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday.
Firefighters arrived Sunday night at a two-story home near Stanley that was mostly engulfed in fire, with flames showing through the attic, the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services said in a news release.
Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the home, suffering from catastrophic injuries, officials said. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at a 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 caused the structure to collapse. The cause is under investigation.
Stanley is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Charlotte.
The home is owned by a company called Won One Real Estate that lists Denny Hamlin as its manager, according to local property tax records and a business document filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.
Representatives for Hamlin had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.
Hamlin is one of the marquee drivers in NASCAR's top circuit, having won 60 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times.
The 45-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has yet to win a Cup points championship. He fell short of the title during this season's final race in Arizona last month.
Weeks earlier, Hamlin said his father — who nearly went broke with financial sacrifices to try to get his son into NASCAR — was battling a serious illness, and that he didn't have much time left to live.
“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment,” Hamlin told The Associated Press.
Hamlin also mentioned his dad in emotional testimony this month at the start of a federal antitrust trial 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 race team reached a settlement during the trial before jurors ever deliberated.
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Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee.
FILE - Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
LONDON (AP) — Britons ranging from Hollywood stars Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo to a 102-year-old judo instructor have been named in King Charles III’s New Year’s honors list, an annual tradition that recognizes people for their contributions to U.K. public life.
Elba, who starred as a drug dealer in “The Wire” and the president of the United States in “A House of Dynamite,” was knighted for his services to young people after he and his wife, Sabrina, founded the Elba Hope Foundation to target issues such as knife crime, education and poverty.
The actor accepted the honor on behalf of the young people served by the charity.
“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence,” Elba said.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the ice dancing duo who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, were also awarded top honors, with Torvill receiving a damehood and Dean a knighthood.
Erivo, one of the stars of “Wicked,” was named a Member of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama. And John Hearn, who goes by the name Judo Jack, received a British Empire Medal, after the Guinness World Records recognized him as the world’s oldest judo instructor.
Other honorees include author and comedian Richard Osman, who writes the “Thursday Murder Club” book series and was declared an Officer of the British Empire; retired marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, Officer of the British Empire; and 101-year-old D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for school talks on Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service.
The history of Britain’s honors system stretches back to the Middle Ages, when monarchs gave gifts of land, money and titles to those who served the crown. In modern times, that has evolved into a hierarchy of honorary distinctions awarded by the king on the recommendation of the government.
Modern honors are awarded for contributions in areas such as government, academia, the arts and sports. While many of the awards go to politicians, pop stars and Olympic medalists, honorees often include librarians, charity workers and civil servants who serve their communities with little fanfare.
In all, 1,150 people received New Year's honors this year.
The most prestigious honors are knighthoods and damehoods. Men who receive the awards are entitled to use the honorific “sir” before their names, while women use the title “dame.”
Below that are the three levels of the Order of the British Empire. These are known, in order of precedence, as Commander, or CBE; Officer, or OBE; and Member, or MBE. Recipients are entitled to use the initials related to their award after their names.
Honors are generally announced twice a year on New Year’s and the king’s birthday. They are presented by the king or another member of the royal family at ceremonies throughout the year.
FILE - Cynthia Erivo arrives at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Mervyn Kersh D-Day veteran who fought in the Normandy Campaign, with his cat Joey at his home in London, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Idris Elba poses for photographers at the red carpet for the film 'A House of Dynamite' during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
