Fred Lorenzen was 15 year old , he had his first experience in a beefed - up stockcar . He and a caboodle of his brother from Elmhurst , Ill. , take an old 1937 Plymouth out to an empty field and cranked it around in circle . The object of this adolescent prank was to see who could flip the automobile first . Lorenzen claimed he was the first to achieve the dubious end .
The speed plot was already under Lorenzen ’s peel , and within a few years , he was gain a reputation around short tracks in Illinois . He made a abbreviated stab atNASCARracing in 1956 , but his operating stock ran out after contend in just seven races . Lorenzen went back home broken but unshaken . He graduated up stock car racing ’s ladder and get running some USAC parentage cable car consequence in the Midwest .
Success follow virtually overnight . Lorenzen won the USAC Stock Car championship cap in 1958 and ' 59 . " In my best yr , I won $ 14,000 , a prize , and a gold spotter , " tell Lorenzen . " It was not taking me where I want to go . "
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In 1960 , Lorenzen go south and consider up mansion in a tiny trailer in a friend ’s backyard near Charlotte , N.C. He accepted a caper with the far-famed Holman - MoodyFordteam as a mechanic , but was restless in that role and quit . " I was bull - manoeuver , " say Lorenzen . " That was one of my problems . I suppose I could make all the money myself by forming my own team . "
Lorenzen made 10 NASCAR Grand National start in 1960 , get ahead $ 9,136 . Near the finale of the season , Lorenzen sold his car and headed back to Elmhurst . He was out of racing , thirsty , disgusted , and discouraged .
On Christmas Eve 1960 , Moody call Lorenzen and asked him if he was concerned in becoming the lead machine driver on his squad . " I was really surprised , " said Lorenzen . " I could n’t imagine what I had done to impress them . I ’m sure a lot of people thought they were crazy to hire me . "
In his second start with the Holman - Moody squad at Martinsville in 1961 , Lorenzen arrogate his first career victory . He followed that up with a highly charged victory in Darlington ’s Rebel 300 , beating old superior Curtis Turner in a late - slipstream duel . Lorenzen went on to deliver the goods three of his 15 commencement in ' 61 , then won twice in 19 races in ' 62 .
By 1963 , Ford Motor Co. was back in racing , financing a fleet of machine on the NASCAR Grand National trail . Lorenzen hit stride , winning six races in 29 starts and finish up third in the final points standing , despite lead off a specter more than half the races . He amassed winnings that totaled $ 122,588 and became the first number one wood to earn more than $ 100,000 in a single season .
Statistically , Lorenzen ’s most productive time of year was 1964 when he won one-half of his 16 NASCAR Grand National showtime . mechanically skillful problem keep him out of the James Henry Leigh Hunt in the first four raceway of his shorten season .
Lorenzen won the Daytona 500 in 1965 . He made only five kickoff in 1967 , but after roll up a career record of 26 victories in 129 starts , he suddenly hit the sack from competition , citing ulcer and a loss of weight as reasons for the spur - of - the - moment conclusion .
He played the stock market place and rest on the sidelines until May 1970 , when the urge returned and he made a comeback attempt . Although he ran up front in a phone number of races , some of his competitory edge had been lose . By the autumn of ' 72 , Lorenzen accede out for the final meter and head back to Illinois .
Herb Nab , who mold a close working kinship with Lorenzen when he was his crew chief , said Fearless Freddy was one of NASCAR ’s best drivers ever – if not the very effective . " That ’s the respectable driver there is , " Nab said while charge to Lorenzen during a quiet in the garage area in 1964 . " He can beat back a backwash gondola well than any of the others , include Fireball Roberts . Do n’t allow anyone tell you different . "
