NASCAR Legend Fred Lorenzen Dies at 89

Known as 'The Golden Boy,' Lorenzen was one of NASCAR's first superstars, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking achievements and fan admiration.

Fred Lorenzen, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1965 Daytona 500 champion, passed away on December 18, 2024, at the age of 89 after years of declining health.
Lorenzen, nicknamed 'The Golden Boy,' was the first NASCAR driver to earn over $100,000 in a single season, achieving this milestone in 1963.
He won 26 NASCAR Cup Series races during a career that spanned from 1956 to 1972, including iconic victories at the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
Lorenzen's dominance in the mid-1960s, particularly his 1964 season with eight wins and five consecutive victories, cemented his status as one of the sport's greats.
In his later years, Lorenzen battled dementia, which his family believed was linked to concussions from his racing career, and he pledged his brain to concussion research.