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Denny Hamlin has revealed that his father, Dennis Hamlin, has been battling a serious, undisclosed illness for several months now. And as Hamlin enters the Phoenix final at 44 years old, he carries not only the weight of his legacy but also the heartbreak of knowing his father, now 75, is too ill to attend. Speaking to the Associated Press ahead of the finale, Hamlin said, “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.” The first time Danny mentioned his father’s health publicly was in September, following his win at the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway. In his victory interview, Hamlin became emotional, saying, “And so happy to get this victory and my dad’s not feeling well at home. So just shoutout to him, the whole family’s here, so fantastic day and it couldn’t be better. … Just step up.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad And it means a lot to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver because Dennis Hamlin’s sacrifices were instrumental in shaping his son’s racing career. He took out multiple mortgages on his Virginia home, maxed out his credit cards, and came close to bankruptcy just to keep Denny’s NASCAR dreams alive. Now, more than two decades later, Denny Hamlin stands as a 60-time Cup Series winner and three-time Daytona 500 champion, one of the sport’s greatest drivers still chasing his first championship. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
