Lorenzen Family Funds CTE Research and Driver Support

A $1 million family donation is set to expand support for drivers facing neurological problems linked to repeated head injuries, following the posthumous diagnosis of former NASCAR star Fred Lorenzen with stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Announced on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the initiative includes research funding and a free support service for current and former drivers and their families.

The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced that an analysis of Lorenzen's brain tissue, conducted after his death on December 18, 2024, confirmed stage 3 CTE on a four-stage scale. The organization said Lorenzen was the first NASCAR driver to receive an official diagnosis of the degenerative brain disease.

The donation will help advance CTE research and establish the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine through the Concussion & CTE Foundation. According to the organization, the free service will provide personalized assistance to drivers and families dealing with long-term concussion symptoms, CTE, and related neurological disorders.

Dr. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the Boston University CTE Center, identified a specific subtype of the disease in Lorenzen's brain tissue.

"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.

Stein also explained that some CTE cases disproportionately affect brain regions responsible for behavior and movement, producing symptoms that differ from other presentations of the disease.

"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," said Dr. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the Boston University CTE Center.

Lorenzen's family said it hopes the initiative will help other drivers obtain assistance and improve understanding of the disease. His daughter, Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom, described the difficulties her family experienced during his prolonged cognitive decline.

"My dad struggled for many years, long before he was diagnosed with dementia in his 60s," said Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom in a press release. "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," said Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom in a press release.

The family also disclosed that it had approached NASCAR leadership about Lorenzen's diagnosis in January. According to the source report, NASCAR declined the opportunity to participate in the initiative supporting current and former drivers.

Lorenzen, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and Daytona 500 winner known as The Golden Boy, died in December 2024 after living with dementia for years. His family's announcement adds to growing attention on neurological conditions among former drivers.

On September 23, 2026, fellow Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and his family announced that he would withdraw from public life after receiving a diagnosis of frontotemporal degeneration, complicated by possible CTE.