Fred Lorenzen was the staple driver for Lafayette Ford in the 1960s. In 1963, Lorenzen became the first NASCAR driver to win over $100,000 in a single season. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Ray Fox’s winged Dodge Charger Daytona that Fred Lorenzen drove in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Lorenzen finished 32nd after a distributor failed. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Fred Lorenzen stands next to the Holman-Moody Ford he drove during the NASCAR Cup season. Lorenzen dominated the Cup races at Charlotte during the year, winning both the World 600 and National 400. Note that Lorenzen is wearing one of the very popular shirts marketed in the 1960s by Darlington (SC) Raceway. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Fred Lorenzen continued a string of 5th place finishes at the World 600, piloting the Nichels ’71 Plymouth. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Victorious Fred Lorenzen (center) enjoys Victory Lane with Miss Firebird, Linda Vaughn and crew chief Herb Nab after winning the 1964 Atlanta 500. Lorenzen’s winning mount was a 1964 Holman-Moody Ford Galaxy. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Fred Lorenzen driver of the #28 LaFayette Ford stands in Victory Lane with his trophy and the trophy girl after winning the 1965 Daytona 500 on February 14, 1965 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo – Getty Images Archive
1964: Fred Lorenzen had an incredible season on the NASCAR Cup circuit. His Holman-Moody team entered him in 16 Cup events, and he won half of them, including five starts in a row. He won both Cup races held at the Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway and the Martinsville (VA) Speedway. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Fred Lorenzen, winner of the 1961 and 1964 Rebel 300s. Photo – Getty Images Archive
Winning Percentage Ranks Fifth All-Time
Note: This release is part of a series in advance of the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan. 30, broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White are the five 2015 inductees.
Fred Lorenzen’s NASCAR career was brief, just 158 premier series starts over slightly more than a decade.
The Elmhurst, Illinois, native never ran a complete season, his Holman-Moody Ford team choosing only to compete in the schedule’s most prestigious events.
But when Lorenzen did buckle into his white, No. 28 Ford, it could be argued the rest of the field was running for second place. He was the “Golden Boy.” Continue reading →
