Fred Lorenzen

Lorenzen's winning streak (1962–1967)

In 1962, Lorenzen won the Atlanta 500 and a race at Augusta Speedway. The 1962 Ford had inferior aerodynamics early in the season, but a Starlift option for the convertible fixed the issue; it was used only in the Atlanta 500, after which NASCAR banned it because it did not completely cover the car and was used solely for a racing advantage. In 1963, Lorenzen became the top money-maker and the first driver to break the $100,000 barrier in one season, winning the Atlanta 500, the World 600, the Volunteer 500, the Western North Carolina 500, the Mountaineer 300, and the Old Dominion 500, bringing his total winnings to $122,000.

In 1964, he won the Southeastern 500 at Bristol, the Atlanta 500, the Gwyn Staley 400 at North Wilkesboro, the Virginia 500 at Martinsville, the Rebel 300 at Darlington, the Volunteer 500, the Old Dominion 500, and the National 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; five of those races are current "classics" on the NASCAR Cup Series as of 2025. He also won the USAC-sanctioned Yankee 300. In 1965, Lorenzen won the Daytona 500, the Virginia 500, the World 600, and the National 400.

In 1966, he won the Old Dominion 500 and the American 500 at Rockingham, North Carolina. In 1967, he won the Daytona 500 Qualifier (until 1971, those races were points-paying events). Lorenzen compiled 26 wins, making him one of the dominant drivers of NASCAR during a significant portion of the sport's early golden era. In one 1966 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Lorenzen drove a Junior Johnson-owned No. 26 Ford due to the Ford boycott of NASCAR for much of that season; the car had a sloped front end, lowered roofline, narrowed side windows, lowered windshield, and kicked-up tail.

The Yellow Banana

Rival drivers called it "The Yellow Banana," "Junior's Joke," and "The Magnafluxed Monster." Though illegal, NASCAR allowed it to compete in an attempt to boost attendance, which had suffered from the Ford boycott. Lorenzen crashed while leading the Dixie 500 on the 139th lap. A pit crew member said afterward, "No wonder, I ain't never seen anybody who could drive a banana at 150 mile an hour."

The Holman Moody Years

On Christmas Eve 1960, team owner Ralph Moody telephoned Lorenzen and asked him to become the team's lead driver. Lorenzen accepted, though he was curious about what he had done to meet Moody's criteria. From 1961 through 1966, Lorenzen dominated NASCAR, winning many prestigious races and beating top drivers. In his first season with Holman Moody, he won the Grand National 200 at Martinsville, the Rebel 300 at Darlington, and the Festival 250 at Atlanta.

Did You Know?

• At age 15, Lorenzen and his friends competed to see who could flip a 1937 Plymouth first by cranking it in circles; Lorenzen claimed to be the victor.
• He won the 1958 and 1959 USAC stock car championships driving a Talarico Bros. built Chevrolet.
• Lorenzen died from complications of dementia on December 18, 2024, at age 89.