Fred Lorenzen, NASCAR Hall of Famer and Daytona 500 winner, passes away

‘Fast Freddie’ Lorenzen was just a couple weeks shy of his 90th birthday when he passed away on Wednesday. The Elmhurst, Illinois native was an early star of the sport of NASCAR, competing from 1956 to 1972. He had many nicknames including ‘Golden Boy,’ ‘Fearless Freddie,’ the ‘Elmhurst Express’ and was beloved by fans. Lorenzen was a two-time recipient of the sport’s Most Popular Driver award. His family broke the news of his passing on Facebook, praising him for his humility and authenticity.

“Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France in a statement from the sanctioning body. “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.”

In his racing career, Lorenzen was quick to find success behind the wheel, winning back-to-back USAC stock car championships in 1958 and 1959. He went on to win 26 NASCAR Cup races, which ties him with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 33rd on the all-time wins list. Among those victories were some crown jewel events, winning the 1965 Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford and the World 600 (now Coke 600) in 1963 and 1965. The year he won the 500, Lorenzen also won every single superspeedway race on the schedule.

He never ran the full schedule, focusing more on big money events than points totals, but he still placed as high as third in the championship standings in 1963. But 1964 was perhaps his most impressive season, winning half of the races he entered (8 of 16) including five straight starts without a loss. 

Lorenzen’s stunning career earned him a place as one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, and he was later inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2015.