NASCAR boss pays tribute after death of legend Fred Lorenzen

NASCAR boss Jim France has paid tribute to Fred Lorenzen following the news of the Hall of Famer’s death at the age of 89.

The Illinois born racer made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 1956, but did not win his first race until 1961 at Martinsville Speedway.

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Lorenzen acquired a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series wins across his career, including the Daytona 500 in 1965 and two Coca Cola 600 victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR legend earned several nicknames over his career but was known as ‘Golden Boy’, following his driving success.

Fred Lorenzen passes away at age of 89

Despite his retirement from motorsport, Lorenzen continued to be celebrated by being inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

However, it was revealed that Lorenzen died earlier this month at the age of 89, after he battled with dementia in the latter stages of his life.

NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France has since paid tribute to Lorenzen in a statement following the news of his passing.

“Fred Lorenzen was one of NASCAR’s first true superstars,” he said.

“A fan favorite, he helped NASCAR expand from its original roots. Fred was the picture-perfect NASCAR star, helping to bring the sport to the silver screen — which further grew NASCAR’s popularity during its early years.

“For many years, NASCAR’s ‘Golden Boy’ was also its gold standard, a fact that eventually led him to the sport’s pinnacle, a rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Fred Lorenzen.”

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