Fred Lorenzen facts for kids

Frederick Lorenzen Jr. (born December 30, 1934 – died December 18, 2024) was a famous NASCAR driver from Elmhurst, Illinois. People knew him by cool nicknames like "the Golden Boy", "Fast Freddie", and "Fearless Freddy". He raced from 1958 to 1972 and won 26 big races, including the exciting 1965 Daytona 500.

Fred Lorenzen: A Racing Legend

Early Days and First Races

When Fred Lorenzen was 15, he loved cars. He even had a fun contest with his friends in Elmhurst, Illinois. They wanted to see who could flip a 1937 Plymouth car over first by spinning it around. Fred said he won that challenge!

After high school, Fred started racing different kinds of stock cars. He made his first NASCAR race in 1956 at Langhorne Speedway. He finished 26th and won $25. Later, he raced in the USAC stock car series. He became champion in both 1958 and 1959, driving a Chevrolet built by Talarico Bros.

Joining the Holman-Moody Team

On Christmas Eve in 1960, Fred got a very important phone call. It was from Ralph Moody, a famous race team owner. Moody asked Fred to be the main driver for his team. Fred was surprised but quickly said yes! This call changed his whole racing career.

In 1961, Fred started winning races with the Holman-Moody team. For five years, from 1961 to 1966, Fred was one of the best drivers in NASCAR. He won many major races and beat other top drivers of his time. In his first year with Holman-Moody, he won races at Martinsville, Darlington, and Atlanta. Everyone knew Fred would become a NASCAR superstar.

Fred's Amazing Winning Streak

In 1962, Fred won the Atlanta 500 and a race at Augusta Speedway. His Ford car had some problems with how it moved through the air (aerodynamics) at the start of the season. Ford tried a special "Starlift" option to fix this, but NASCAR quickly banned it. They said it was only for racing and didn't look like a normal car part.

The year 1963 was incredible for Fred. He became the first NASCAR driver to win over $100,000 in one season! He won the Atlanta 500, the World 600, the Volunteer 500, and many other races. His total winnings that year were $122,000.

In 1964, Fred kept winning. He won the Southeastern 500 at Bristol, the Atlanta 500, and the Gwyn Staley 400. He also won the Virginia 500, the Rebel 300, and the National 400. Many of these races are still famous "classic" races today.

In 1965, Fred achieved one of his biggest wins: the Daytona 500. He also won the Virginia 500, the World 600, and the National 400 that year.

In 1966, he won the Old Dominion 500 and the American 500. In 1967, he won a Daytona 500 Qualifier race. Fred's many wins showed he was a dominant driver during NASCAR's "Golden Era."

The Controversial "Yellow Banana"

In 1966, Fred drove a very unusual car at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was a No. 26 Ford owned by Junior Johnson. Ford had stopped racing in NASCAR for much of that season, so this car was special. The car was designed to be super fast. Its front was sloped down, the roof was lower, and the windows were narrower. Other drivers called it "The Yellow Banana" because of its strange shape and color.

Even though the car was against the rules, NASCAR let it race to help bring more fans to the event. Fred was leading the Dixie 500 race when he crashed on lap 139. One person from the pit crew joked, "No wonder, I ain't never seen anybody who could drive a banana at 150 mile an hour." This very unique car only raced once.

Later Racing and Life

Fred came back to racing in 1970. He drove a Dodge Daytona in the World 600 race. He was leading but had to stop because of engine problems. He raced in a few more events that year. In 1971, he drove a Plymouth car. He was badly hurt in a practice crash later that year. His last race was in 1972 at the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Fred Lorenzen lived in a suburb of Chicago, close to his family. In his best years (1962-1965), he was NASCAR's top driver. He won many big races on the super speedways. Fred raced for money, not points, so he never won the yearly championship. But his wins in major races made him known as the "uncrowned King" of NASCAR during its golden years. Many fans wanted to see his amazing career recognized.

Fred Lorenzen passed away on December 18, 2024, at the age of 89.

Awards and Recognition

• He was honored and added to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001.
• In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.
• He was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2015.

A Famous Quote

• "When NASCAR lost Fireball Roberts it was like Santa Claus doesn't exist at Christmas and it just took everything out of the race"—Fred Lorenzen's thoughts on the death of fellow driver Fireball Roberts.

Images for kids

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  A replica of Fred Lorenzen's 1965 Ford Galaxie race car.