Fred Lorenzen, a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver with 26 NASCAR Cup Series victories, has been diagnosed posthumously with Stage 3 CTE, according to the results of his post-mortem brain tissue analysis, which was released to his family on Tuesday.
“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.”
Lorenzen, who passed away at the age of 89 on December 18, 2024, after living with dementia for two decades, is the first NASCAR driver known to be diagnosed with the disease. Now, his children are announcing a $1 million donation to the Concussion & CTE Foundation, in order to advance CTE research and help struggling drivers and their families find care.
“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.”
The family of Lorenzen opened a dialogue with NASCAR leadership in January about the diagnoses, and although NASCAR opted not to join in on the initiative, Lorenzen’s family will continue to aid the Concussion & CTE Foundation to ensure proper support is received for those struggling.
“My dad’s dementia care came at a significant financial and emotional cost to our family,” said Chris Lorenzen, Fred’s son. “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 donation will create the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine at the Concussion & CTE Foundation will help provide care navigation, education, and support groups for families fighting suspected CTE and persistent concussion symptoms. At the same time, the donation will accelerate efforts by Dr. Ann McKee and Dr. Michael Alosco at the Boston University CTE Center, to definitively diagnose CTE during life.
“It is concerning to find CTE in the brain of Fred Lorenzen, the first NASCAR driver to be studied,” said Dr. Chris Nowinski, Concussion & CTE Foundation CEO. “We know the need for programs supporting the auto racing community with CTE symptoms is there, and we are thankful we can ramp up our work thanks to a generous $1 million donation from Chris Lorenzen and Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, CTE is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries, and severe CTE is associated with dementia. Last month, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD).
