Inductee for 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame class
Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars even though he was a “part-time” driver, never running more than 29 of the season’s 50-plus races.
Lorenzen got his start in NASCAR as a mechanic with the famed Holman-Moody team in 1960, and was elevated to lead driver by the end of the year. He won three races in only 15 starts the following season.
His most productive season came in 1963 as he finished with six wins, 21 top-fives and 23 top-10s in 29 starts. Despite missing 26 races that season, he finished third in the standings.
(b. 12/30/1934)
Hometown: Elmhurst, Illinois
Competed: 1956-72
Starts: 158
Wins: 26
Poles: 32
In 1964, he entered 16 of the scheduled 62 races but won eight, including five consecutive starts. During that stretch, Lorenzen led 1,679 of the possible 1,953 laps, one of the most dominant runs in NASCAR history. In 1965, he won two of NASCAR’s major events — the Daytona 500 and the World 600.
Lorenzen retired in 1967 but made a brief comeback from 1970-72. His career winning percentage of 16.86 remains fifth-best of all time.
Lorenzen was an extremely popular driver with fans, to the point that he had several nicknames — “Golden Boy,” “Fearless Freddie” and “The Elmhurst Express.” He was one of NASCAR’s first stars to hail from outside the sport’s Southern roots.
In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. He was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 in his fifth year on the ballot.
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