NASCAR Hall of Famer Lorenzen suffered from CTE, analysis reveals

NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen is the first known driver to have been diagnosed with CTE, as announced by the Concussion & CTE Foundation.

The post-mortem brain tissue analysis results were released Tuesday on behalf of Lorenzen’s family. Lorenzen was diagnosed with stage 3 (of 4) chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by researchers from the Boston University CTE Center.

Lorenzen, who had a lengthy battle with dementia, died in December 2024.

“Mr. Lorenzen had cortical-sparing CTE, which is the first identified subtype of the disease,” said Dr. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the Boston University CTE Center and the neuropathologist who studied Lorenzen’s brain. “In about 10% of CTE cases, the disease is worse in areas of the brain controlling behavior and movement, leading to behavioral symptoms and Parkinson’s-like movement disorders that start earlier in life.”

Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015, Lorenzen earned 26 wins in 158 starts, including the Daytona 500 and Charlotte 600. He competed in NASCAR from 1956 to 1972.

CTE, which currently has no cure, is caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries. A case of severe CTE is associated with dementia.

“My dad struggled for many years, long before he was diagnosed with dementia in his 60s,” said Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom. “Watching him go through that, and experiencing the impact it had on me and our family was incredibly difficult and beyond heartbreaking. 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.

“Our family wants to honor our dad’s legacy by making sure other drivers and their families have help navigating this devastating disease and hopefully better answers in the future.”

Lorenzen’s diagnosis was shared by his family with NASCAR leadership in January. NASCAR declined to join the initiative, but Lorenzen’s children have announced a $1 million donation to the Concussion & CTE Foundation. The goal is to help drivers and their families get the support they need.

The donation will create the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine at the Concussion & CTE Foundation. Any family of a driver struggling with suspected symptoms is encouraged to reach out to the HelpLine.

“My dad’s dementia care came at a significant financial and emotional cost to our family,” said Chris Lorenzen. “We had hoped NASCAR would join us in this effort, and while we’re disappointed that hasn’t happened, we remain hopeful there will be opportunities to work together to support the drivers who helped build the sport. Our family is proud to make this investment in CTE research, and we hope it brings us closer to a future where we can diagnose this disease in living patients, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find a cure.”

The family of Darrell Waltrip shared in September that Waltrip had been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD), which is complicated by possible CTE.