Overview
- The Concussion & CTE Foundation and Boston University CTE Center have publicly confirmed that Fred Lorenzen had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, making him the first driver to receive an official postmortem CTE diagnosis.
- Lorenzen donated his brain for research in 2016 and died in late 2024, and researchers examined that tissue to reach the diagnosis now being disclosed.
- His children say he showed years of behavioral and cognitive changes, including impulsivity, irritability, anxiety, and memory loss, which the family links to his racing career.
- Lorenzen’s children have pledged $1 million to CTE research and created the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine to connect drivers and families with medical and care resources.
- Researchers describe Lorenzen’s illness as the cortical‑sparing form of CTE, a subtype tied to early mood and motor symptoms, and the case is likely to increase calls for more study, monitoring, and support for people in motorsports.