Dale Earnhardt Jr Opened Up About One Bond With Denny Hamlin That NASCAR Fans Never Knew About

The NASCAR community has been reeling from unimaginable heartbreak.

Two devastating losses within 10 days left the racing world shattered.

And Dale Earnhardt Jr opened up about one bond with Denny Hamlin that NASCAR fans never knew about.

NASCAR Endured Brutal Back-to-Back Losses

Greg Biffle and six others died December 18 when his Cessna Citation crashed attempting an emergency landing at Statesville Regional Airport.

Biffle's wife Cristina, his daughter Emma, and 5-year-old son Ryder were killed.

Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth also lost their lives.

A passenger texted "emergency landing" to family moments before the plane slammed into trees and approach lights short of the runway.

The aircraft exploded in flames.

Just 10 days later on December 28, fire consumed the North Carolina home of Denny Hamlin's parents.

Dennis Hamlin died from his injuries at 75 years old.

Hamlin's mother Mary Lou suffered critical burns and remains hospitalized in Winston-Salem.

Firefighters battled flames for two hours because hydrants weren't available in the rural area.

The home was a complete loss.

Earnhardt Revealed What NASCAR Fans Didn't Know About Hamlin

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on both losses during his podcast and shared a story most fans never heard.

"That was really tough," Earnhardt said about Biffle's death.

"It was hard, and I can't imagine what it must be like for his family, his friends, his close friends, his family members, and I'm sure they all feel absolutely devastated," Earnhardt explained.

Then Earnhardt turned to Hamlin's loss.

"I don't have any first-hand knowledge or information but I'm hoping that his mom is doing well," Earnhardt said.

Dennis Hamlin had been battling serious illness for months.

After Hamlin won his 60th career race at Las Vegas in October, he fought back tears thanking his father who couldn't travel to watch anymore.

"Tragically losing a parent, I mean, Denny had been open and vocal about his dad had an illness that's he's been dealing with and things weren't looking real good long-term in that situation," Earnhardt stated.

"Then to tragically lose him like that in a house fire, just scary. That is super, super scary. Can't imagine how terrifying that might have been and sad for Denny to have to go through this."

The Friendship Story NASCAR Fans Never Knew

That's when Earnhardt revealed the bond he shares with Hamlin.

Their friendship started more than 20 years ago before the 2004 Daytona 500.

Hamlin was scrambling to land a NASCAR ride and had a meeting scheduled with Joe Gibbs Racing.

But he had nowhere to stay.

Earnhardt let Hamlin crash on the couch in his bus at Daytona.

After Earnhardt won the 2004 Daytona 500, a young Hamlin carried the trophy back to the bus for him.

That moment launched Hamlin's career and cemented a friendship between two drivers who would become NASCAR legends.

"We never had a problem on the racetrack, we raced fine," Earnhardt recalled about his relationship with Biffle.

"When I retired and we both kind of started slowing down at the same time, I started seeing him more," Earnhardt said about Biffle.

Earnhardt's wife Amy wanted to help with animal hospital initiatives Biffle supported.

"We would go and hang out and see Greg. We would run into each other at the lake with our boats," Earnhardt explained.

The NASCAR legend knows something about aviation disasters hitting close to home.

In August 2019, Earnhardt's plane crash-landed in Elizabethton, Tennessee with his wife Amy, their infant daughter, and family dog aboard.

The aircraft bounced twice on the runway before catching fire.

Everyone escaped.

"It was a very tough experience to go through," Earnhardt said after that crash.

Biffle's death in a plane crash hit different for someone who nearly lost his family the same way.

NASCAR has faced compound grief before.

Four drivers died from basilar skull fractures in eight months spanning 2000-2001, including Earnhardt's father Dale Sr. in the 2001 Daytona 500.

That changed NASCAR safety forever.

But grief never gets easier no matter how many times the racing family faces it.

Earnhardt's reflection on these back-to-back losses shows the tight bonds forged between drivers.

They're not just competitors.

They're friends who've known each other since scraping by with nowhere to stay before the biggest race of the year.

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Sources:

• Country Rebel, "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens Up About Bond With Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle Amid Tragic Time For NASCAR," January 20, 2026.
• NASCAR.com, "Dennis Hamlin, father of Cup Series star Denny Hamlin, dies in house fire," December 29, 2025.
• NBC News, "'Emergency landing' text: Private jet moments before crash killed former NASCAR driver," December 21, 2025.
• NASCAR.com, "Greg Biffle, family die in plane crash; NASCAR legend was 55," December 20, 2025.
• Fox Sports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. interview regarding 2019 plane crash, August 2019.