(b. 12/30/34)
Hometown: Elmhurst, Ill.
Competed: 1956-72
Starts: 158
Wins: 26
Poles: 32
Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars, even though he was a “part-time” driver some seasons. Example: In 1964 he entered only 16 of the scheduled 62 races but won eight, including five consecutively – and finished 13th in the NASCAR premier series standings.
In 1965, he won two of NASCAR’s “major” events – the Daytona 500 and the World 600.
Lorenzen was an extremely popular driver with fans, to the point that he had several nicknames – “Golden Boy,” “Fearless Freddie” and “The Elmhurst Express.”
Lorenzen, now living in Oakwood, Ill., retired in 1967 at the age of 33 but made a brief comeback from 1970-72. He didn’t win a race those last three years but he did post 11 top-five finishes along with capturing two poles.
In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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