NASCAR
NASCAR Hall of Fame Driver ‘Fearless’ Fred Lorenzen Dead at age 89
26-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and pioneering star Fred Lorenzen has died, his family announced Wednesday. The star driver of the 1960s had battled dementia for the last several years. Lorenzen, from Elmhurst, Illinois, was one of NASCAR’s first household names during the sport’s infancy. The driver nicknamed ‘Fearless Freddie’ was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
Lorenzen was the 1965 Daytona 500 winner, taking the No. 28 Holman-Moody Ford Galaxie to victory in The Great American Race. That year alone Lorenzen also earned wins in the Virginia 500 (Martinsville), World 600 (Charlotte) and the National 500 (Charlotte).
In a statement, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France credited Lorenzen with pushing the sport into a national spotlight. “Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars. A fan favorite, he helped NASCAR expand from its original roots. Fred was the picture-perfect NASCAR star, helping to bring the sport to the silver screen – which further grew NASCAR’s popularity during its early years. For many years, NASCAR’s ‘Golden Boy’ was also its gold standard, a fact that eventually led him to the sport’s pinnacle, a rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Fred Lorenzen.”
1963 also saw Lorenzen become the first racing driver to earn over $100,000 in winnings. This feat saw him earn the distinction as the second-highest paid American athlete that year, only trailing Arnold Palmer.
Lorenzen played an integral role in the success of Holman-Moody, one of NASCAR’s first powerhouse teams. Lorenzen’s co-owner Ralph Moody will also be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January. In total, Lorenzen earned 26 of Holman-Moody’s 96 Cup wins.
Lorenzen holds the distinguished honor of highest Cup Series winning percentage, a staggering 16.4%. Lorenzen totaled 26 Cup victories across 158 career starts in a career that spanned from 1956-1972. 1998 also saw Lorenzen named as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.
Other career accolades for Lorenzen include being voted Most Popular Driver twice (1963, 1965), success in drag racing and USAC stock cars, and being rivals against legends Junior Johnson and Curtis Turner.
26 wins still has Lorenzen tied as the 33rd-winningest man in Cup Series history, alongside fellow Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. Among NASCAR’s founding period in the early 1960s, Lorenzen was a contender and a regular favorite in the highest paying races. Daytona, Charlotte, Atlanta, Rockingham, Martinsville, Bristol, and North Wilkesboro are just some of the tracks tamed by ‘Fearless Freddie.’
Known by many six decades ago as the Golden Boy, Fred Lorenzen’s legacy and impact will live on forever with his deserved spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to NASCAR
