Fred Lorenzen
Frederick Lorenzen Jr., nicknamed "the Golden Boy", "Fast Freddie", "the Elmhurst Express" and "Fearless Freddy", was an American NASCAR driver from Elmhurst, Illinois. Active from 1958 to 1972, he won 26 races including 1965 Daytona 500.
Early life
Fred Lorenzen was 15 years of age when he and his Elmhurst, Illinois, friends competed in a contest to see who could flip a 1937 Plymouth over first by cranking it around in circles. Lorenzen claimed to be the victor of that tourney.NASCAR
Early career
After graduating from high school, Lorenzen began racing modifieds and late models, and made his NASCAR debut in 1956 at Langhorne Speedway, finishing 26th after suffering a broken fuel pump, winning $25. He moved to a USAC stock car, and won the 1958 and 1959 championships driving his Talarico Bros. built Chevrolet.The Holman Moody Years
On Christmas Eve 1960, Lorenzen received a phone call from team owner Ralph Moody. Moody asked Lorenzen about becoming his team's lead driver. Lorenzen accepted, although curious as to what he'd done to fulfill Moody's criteria to be part of his team.In 1961, Lorenzen began winning races in what would eventually become a remarkable career. From 1961 until 1966, Lorenzen dominated NASCAR like few drivers could winning many prestigious races and beating the top drivers of the time.
In his maiden season with Holman Moody, Lorenzen won the Grand National 200 at Martinsville; the Rebel 300 at Darlington and the Festival 250 at Atlanta. Lorenzen was already challenging the all-time greats for the top prizes in NASCAR.
Lorenzen's winning streak (1962–1967)
In 1962, Lorenzen won the Atlanta 500 and a race at Augusta Speedway. The 1962 Ford was troubled at the start of the season by inferior aerodynamics. Ford introduced a Starlift option for the convertible that rectified this issue. The Atlanta 500 was the only race it was used. NASCAR banned it since it didn't completely cover and was used only for a racing advantage.In 1963, Lorenzen soared to the top and became the top money-maker and the first to break the $100,000 barrier in one season. In that year, Lorenzen won: the Atlanta 500, the World 600; the Volunteer 500, the Western North Carolina 500; the Mountaineer 300 and the Old Dominion 500 bringing his total winnings to $122,000.
In 1964, Lorenzen won the Southeastern 500 at Bristol; the Atlanta 500; the Gwyn Staley 400 at North Wilkesboro; the Virginia 500 at Martinsville; the Rebel 300 at Darlington; the Volunteer 500; the Old Dominion 500, and the National 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; five of those races are current "classics" on the NASCAR Cup Series as of 2025. He also won the USAC-sanctioned Yankee 300 In 1965 Lorenzen won the Daytona 500; the Virginia 500; the World 600, and the National 400.
In 1966 Lorenzen won the Old Dominion 500 and the American 500 at Rockingham, North Carolina.
In 1967 Lorenzen won the Daytona 500 Qualifier.
Lorenzen compiled 26 wins, that made him the one of dominant drivers of NASCAR during a significant portion of the sport's early golden era.
The Yellow Banana
In one race in 1966 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he drove a Junior Johnson-owned No. 26 Ford due to the Ford boycott of NASCAR for much of the 1966 season, and it is still one of the most talked about vehicles in NASCAR Grand National Competition to this day. The front end of the car was sloped downward, the roofline was lowered, the side windows were narrowed and the windshield was lowered in an aerodynamic position, and the tail was kicked up. Several rival drivers referred to it as "The Yellow Banana," "Junior's Joke," and "The Magnafluxed Monster." Even though it was against the rules NASCAR allowed the car to compete and Lorenzen crashed while leading the Dixie 500 on the 139th lap. One pit crew member said after the incident "No wonder" he said, "I ain't never seen anybody who could drive a banana at 150 mile an hour." NASCAR let this illegal car run in only one race, in an attempt to bring up attendance, which had suffered due to the Ford boycott.Comeback
Lorenzen came back in 1970, driving a Dodge Daytona prepared by Ray Fox in the World 600, but dropped out while leading on lap 252 of 400 due to engine issues, running in a few more events that year, including substituting for LeeRoy Yarbrough in the Junior Johnson No. 98 Ford Torino Talladega in that year's Southern 500, as Yarbrough had a prior Indy car commitment. In 1971, he moved over to the Ray Nichels/Paul Goldsmith owned No. 99 Plymouth, sponsored by STP. He left that team part way through the season, and was badly injured in a practice crash while trying to drive for the Wood Brothers prior to the Southern 500. In 1972, he hooked up with Hoss Ellington driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, to little success. His last start came at the 1972 Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway.Later life and death
Lorenzen remained in assisted living in a suburb of Chicago surrounded by his family. In his peak from 1962–65, Lorenzen was one the top drivers in NASCAR. On the super speedways, Lorenzen defeated all of his competition to compile many wins in major races. Racing for money instead of points, Lorenzen never competed for the annual Grand National championship, yet he won big races that made him one of the faces of the sport during early golden years. Lorenzen's fans waited for a long time for Lorenzen's career to be recognized with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.Lorenzen died from complications of dementia on December 18, 2024, at the age of 89.
Awards
- Inducted in the Motorsports [Hall of Fame of America] in 2001.
- Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
- Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2015.
Quotes
- "When NASCAR lost Fireball Roberts it was like Santa Claus doesn't exist at Christmas and it just took everything out of the race"—Thoughts on Fireball Roberts' death.