James Gilbert / Getty Images Dennis Hamlin, the father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, has died after a fire in his North Carolina home on Sunday. Hamlin, 75 and his wife, Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the house with catastrophic injuries. Hamlin later died from his injuries, with his wife remaining in hospital in critical condition on Monday. The Lucia Riverbend Fire Department’s chief revealed on Sunday that champion driver Denny owned the house where his parents lived. Hamlin was a major champion of his son’s career, and took multiple mortgages out on his home and maxed out his credit cards trying to help Denny enter NASCAR in 2004. Tragically, in October, Denny, 45, revealed his father was battling a serious illness and was too sick to travel to see him in the season’s final race in Arizona last month. “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,” he told The Associated Press. Nearly half of the Hamlin’s home was on fire when first responders arrived. While the fire caused the structure to collapse, Lucia Riverbend Fire Chief David Toomey told The Athletic his crew was able to save some items in the garage, including expensive cars and racing memorabilia. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. In addition to competing in NASCAR himself, Denny co-owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR team with NBA legend Michael Jordan. In November, the NASCAR driver posted a video on Instagram of his father talking about a gift Jordan had given him. He also shared a video of his father FaceTiming him before the final race in November. View this post on Instagram Read it at Associated Press Read more at The Daily Beast.