NASCAR Hall of Famer and Daytona 500 winner Fred Lorenzen dies

‘Fast Freddy’ Lorenzen was just weeks away from his 90th birthday when he died on Wednesday. The native of Elmhurst, Illinois was an early star in the sport of NASCAR, competing from 1956 to 1972. He had many nicknames including ‘Golden Boy,’ ‘Fearless Freddy,’ ‘Elmhurst Express,’ and was a fan favorite. Lorenzen was a two-time recipient of the sport’s Most Popular Driver award. His family announced the news of his death on Facebook, praising his humility and authenticity.

“Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars,” NASCAR President and CEO Jim France said in a statement from the sanctioning body. “A fan favorite, he helped expand NASCAR from its original roots. Fred was the picture-perfect NASCAR star who helped bring the sport to the silver screen – which further increased NASCAR’s popularity during its early years. For many years, NASCAR’s “Golden Boy” was also its gold standard, a fact that ultimately propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport, earning him a rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I, Fred. “I want to express my condolences to Lorenzen’s friends and family.”

In his racing career, Lorenzen quickly found success, winning back-to-back USAC Stock Car Championships in 1958 and 1959. He won 26 NASCAR Cup races, which ties him for 33rd all-time with Dale Earnhardt Jr. On the all-time wins list. Those wins included some crown jewel events, winning the Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford in 1965 and the World 600 (now the Coke 600) in 1963 and 1965. The year he won the 500, Lorenzen also won every single superspeedway race. Schedule.

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

Lorenzen’s illustrious career earned him a spot 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.