Many top drivers have raced the number 28, from Cale Yarborough to Dale Jarrett. Maybe the most talented of them all was the Golden Boy, Fred Lorenzen.
Recruited to NASCAR by Ralph Moody of Holman Moody, Ford’s factory stock car operation, Lorenzen came south from Chicago’s tough racing scene in 1960. More than one writer has described Lorenzen as NASCAR’s first media star. He was movie-idol handsome, clean-cut, well-spoken—and blinding fast. Taking all this in, the NASCAR regulars named him “Golden Boy.”
A critical aspect of Lorenzen’s career often overlooked today: He didn’t race the entire Grand National schedule. His 26 wins and 32 poles were accomplished in just 158 starts, an incredible winning percentage, and virtually all his wins were in major races as the Holman Moody 28 team cherry-picked the money events. In 1963, Lorenzen was the first NASCAR driver to surpass $100,000 in season winnings.
Lorenzen briefly retired in 1967, but when he returned in 1970 he was unable to capture the old magic, and he left for good in 1972. Though suffering dementia, today he lives comfortably in the Chicago area.
A few Lorenzen cars that carried the number 28:
1958 Ford
1957 Chevrolet at O’Hare Speedway, Chicago
1961 Ford
1962 Ford with 1961-style Starliner roof — banned by NASCAR
1963 Ford at Daytona
1965 Ford at Riverside
1970 Dodge Charger Daytona — Ray Fox car
Lorenzen was my original hero in NASCAR. As a kid, I wasted countless hours in front of the tv watching the #28 Ford going ’round and ’round the track. Is the first image a photo of one of his cars that may still exist?
I have no idea if the car pictured is authentic. Stock cars are really fraught. Another ’63 Lorenzen car surfaced around a year ago for the experts to look at but I don’t know what was decided. If I recall, the opinions were mixed.