The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former star driver to donate brain
Lorenzen, 81, has dementia; daughter suspects crashes.
He was one of NASCAR’s first superstars, but Fred Lorenzen’s memories of his Hall of Fame career have dimmed as he battles dementia. His Daytona 500 victory, the wins he piled up in becoming NASCAR’s first $100,000 driver and his life on the road have been largely extinguished.
Lorenzen, 81, still has flickering moments when he remembers, as in recent years when he visits Chicagoland Speedway, not far from his assisted living facility. “His face just lights up when he’s there,” said his daughter, Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom.
Nearly 45 years after his last Cup race, Lorenzen is still making his mark on the NASCAR community. Inspired by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s decision to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Lorenzen became the second driver known to make the same decision.
Gardstrom made it official Friday with a pledge to Legacy co-founder Chris Nowinski.
“As a family, we decided we wanted to support Dale Jr. and all work together toward a healthy future for these drivers,” Gardstrom said.
Earnhardt, 41, will skip today’s Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway because of concussion symptoms. There is no timetable on when he might return. Earnhardt’s concussion history — he missed two races in 2012 — spurred his decision in March to pledge his brain to the Legacy.
The group works with Boston University on research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease that doctors believe is caused by repeated blows to the head.
Gardstrom is convinced Lorenzen has CTE as a result of brutal wrecks and hits from the 1960s, one of the most dangerous eras in racing history. Lorenzen won the Daytona 500 in 1965.
“He never stopped to heal,” she said.
She wants to help and says her father does, too, to advance knowledge of concussions and their treatment.
“It’s the younger generation that we really need to educate,” she said. “They’re young, they’re hungry, but when they get in a wreck and get a concussion, they know if they don’t get back in the car, someone else is going to take it. We want to change the culture of the sport.”
Xfinity: Sprint Cup regular Kyle Busch, in a Toyota, led 190 of the 200 laps and raced to his sixth Xfinity victory of the season and record-extending 82nd of his career Saturday at New Hampshire. Erik Jones was second and clinched a spot in Xfinity’s version of the Chase.
Alex Bowman finished eighth, a day before he subs for Earnhardt in the Sprint Cup race.
IndyCar: Scott Dixon, in a Chevrolet, turned a final lap of 59.9073 seconds in snatching the pole from Helio Castroneves just as qualifying ended for today’s Indy Toronto road race.