NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen, the 1965 Daytona 500 champion who died in December 2024, has been posthumously diagnosed with Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), his family announced Tuesday through the Concussion & CTE Foundation. The finding, confirmed by researchers at the Boston University CTE Center, makes Lorenzen the first known NASCAR driver to be diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease.
What researchers found in Lorenzen's brain
Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center diagnosed NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen with stage 3 (of 4) chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) following a post-mortem examination of his brain. Lorenzen, who died December 18, 2024, at age 89, is the first NASCAR driver known to be diagnosed with the disease.
A rarer subtype tied to early symptoms
Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center identified Lorenzen as having a subtype known as cortical-sparing CTE. According to Dr. Thor Stein of the Boston University CTE Centre, Fred suffered from the cortical-sparing form of CTE, which is observed in 11% of all cases and which results in early appearance of behavioural, mood, and motor symptoms, a disease Stein noted was caused by head injuries while driving.
A Golden Boy whose memories faded for decades
Lorenzen was one of NASCAR's first true stars. He won 26 career Cup races and made starts in 12 seasons from 1956 to 1972. He was the first driver in NASCAR to earn more than $100,000 in a single season, which he did in 1963. His greatest accomplishment came in 1965, when he won his first and only Daytona 500, taking the lead past the halfway point before rain ended the race prematurely.
He pledged to donate his brain for research back in 2016, following the lead of fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. Lorenzen would be the second NASCAR driver to do so, following the commitment Dale Earnhardt Jr. had made. Lorenzen, who lived to age 89, lived with dementia for the final 20 years of his life.
The family's painful decision to go public
Lorenzen's children, Chris Lorenzen and Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom, chose to share the diagnosis nearly two years after their father's death. “My dad struggled for many years, long before he was diagnosed with dementia in his 60s,” said Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom.
“While he may be the first race car driver diagnosed with CTE, we know from outreach to other drivers that he isn't the only one suffering. I know there are so many more out there who need help.”
A $1 million gift and a new help line
His children revealed the diagnosis while announcing a $1 million donation to the Concussion & CTE Foundation aimed at advancing research and helping drivers and families affected by suspected CTE. The donation will establish the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine, which will provide care navigation, educational resources and support services for families coping with suspected CTE and persistent concussion-related symptoms.
NASCAR's response and what comes next
The Lorenzen family opened a dialogue with NASCAR leadership in January about the diagnosis, and although NASCAR declined to join the initiative, the family is moving forward with the Concussion & CTE Foundation to ensure drivers and their families receive the support they need.
The announcement lands amid a broader reckoning for the sport's older generation of drivers. The news comes less than a month after the family of NASCAR icon Darrell Waltrip released a statement saying he would be stepping away from public life after being diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration, a brain disease that could be complicated by possible CTE. Concussion research has long trailed in motorsports compared to contact sports like the NFL, where hundreds of former players have received CTE diagnoses after death.
The family hopes other drivers follow Lorenzen's example. Other former motorsports stars have since pledged to donate their brains to research too, including former NASCAR winner Jerry Nadeau, NHRA competitors Ron Capps and Leah Pruett, and other racers. As the conversation around brain trauma grows across American sports, from the gridiron covered by stories like the legacy of Mike Ditka to the racetrack, Lorenzen's family says they simply want future generations of drivers to get help earlier than their father did.