DECEMBER 18, 2024

(Getty Images)

The great Fred "Fast Freddie" Lorenzen died at the age of 89 on Wednesday, December 18. Lorenzen was one of NASCAR's first super stars, competing from 1958-1972. He won 26 races, including the 1965 Daytona 500 in the No. 28 Holman & Moody LaFayette Ford. Lorenzen was the USAC Stock Car Champion in 1958-1959 and he was also inducted into the USAC Hall of Fame in 2015. He was the first driver to win the same 500-mile superspeedway race three years in a row (Atlanta 500, 1962–1964); he was also the first driver to win at all five original Southern superspeedways (Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Rockingham, 1965). At the time of his initial retirement (1967), Lorenzen was the all-time superspeedway winner with twelve. Fred won the World 600 at Charlotte in 1963 and 1965, and he was the first NASCAR driver to go over $100,000 in winnings in one season ($122,000 in 1963). Lorenzen was the first driver to sweep both NASCAR races at Martinsville in a season (1964) and the only driver to win four consecutive 500 lap races at Martinsville. Freddie had an incredible 50 percent winning percentage. He finished with 26 wins, 84 top-tens and 32 poles. Lorenzen was the NASCAR Grand National Series (precursor to Cup) most popular driver in 1963 and 1965; he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998; he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001; and he was a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee in 2015. (12/19)

(INDYCAR)

FOX Sports and INDYCAR have announced the race broadcast start times for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Announced in June as part of the new media rights deal between FOX Sports and INDYCAR, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES record 17 races will be available on broadcast television providing a massive increase in exposure for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcasting live on network television. All INDYCAR programming streams live on the FOX Sports app. “The unrivaled exposure FOX will bring to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including an additional hour of Indy 500 pre-race coverage, will prove to be a spectacular showcase for our drivers and teams,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “With FOX’s tremendous partnership and support, we’re going to bring the most competitive and compelling motorsport on the planet to a growing and massive audience. We cannot wait to raise the curtain on the 2025 season with FOX.” Other notes of FOX’s 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES broadcast schedule include: The first points-paying The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile Twin Palms circuit at the scenic The Thermal Club, Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. A return to network television for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m. Network coverage of the finishing hours of both days of qualifying for the Indy 500 on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18 at 4 p.m. bringing the total number of network windows on FOX to a record 19. Non-stop racing action in July with five races in four weekends including the popular Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader Saturday, July 12 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 2 p.m. at Iowa Speedway. The return to network television for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on the tight and unforgiving Streets of Toronto circuit Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. The historic Milwaukee Mile, which produced the most on-track passes on record in 2024, will be the penultimate race of the 2025 championship Sunday, Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. Coverage of all 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions will be featured on either FS1 or FS2. FOX Deportes will carry exclusive Spanish-language television coverage of the Indianapolis 500, with a more complete 2025 season schedule to be announced at a later date. Coverage schedule for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship, the developmental series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, also will be announced at a later date. (12/18/24) FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES COVERAGE SCHEDULE: Date Venue Television Time (ET) Sunday, March 2 Streets of St. Petersburg FOX Noon Sunday, March 23 The Thermal Club FOX 3 p.m. Sunday, April 13 Streets of Long Beach FOX 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 4 Barber Motorsports Park FOX 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course) FOX 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval) FOX 10 a.m. Sunday, June 1 Streets of Detroit FOX 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 15 World Wide Technology Raceway FOX 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22 Road America FOX 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 6 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course FOX 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12 Iowa Speedway Race 1 FOX 5 p.m. Sunday, July 13 Iowa Speedway Race 2 FOX 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20 Streets of Toronto FOX 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca FOX 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 Portland International Raceway FOX 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 Milwaukee Mile FOX 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31 Nashville Superspeedway FOX 2:30 p.m. Note: Dates and times are subject to change.

(Formula1.com)

Lando Norris has brought the 2024 F1 season to a close in style by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in dominant form, the Briton putting in an assured drive to claim victory and also help McLaren to clinch its first constructors’ championship since 1998. It was a strong start to the race for pole-sitter Norris (No. 4 McLaren Formula 1 Team) amid chaos behind him, with Oscar Piastri (No. 81 McLaren Formula 1 Team) and Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) making contact in a battle for second, which saw the latter receive a penalty and the former drop down the order. There was also further trouble for the Australian, who received a punishment of his own for a collision with the Franco Colapinto (No. 43 Williams Racing). And while various other fights played out across the field – which saw a solid performance from McLaren’s title rivals Ferrari – Norris kept a cool head up front to triumph, taking the checkred flag by five seconds from former team mate Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari), which confirmed that the constructors’ crown had gone to Mclaren. Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) put in a fighting performance to climb back up to third, having started back in P19 on the grid. Behind him, a late duel played out between teammates George Russell (No. 63 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team) and Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team), with the seven-time world champion snatching fourth in the final moments to bring his chapter with the squad to an emotional close. Verstappen was sixth, the Red Bull man having bounced back from his earlier penalty, with Pierre Gasly (No. 10 BWT Alpine F1 Team) following in seventh as Alpine sealed P6 in the constructors’ championship, while Nico Hulkenberg (No. 27 MoneyGram Haas F1 Team) was eighth ahead of Fernando Alonso (No. 14 Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team) in ninth. Piastri’s recovery drive ended with 10th place, a disappointing outcome for the Australian despite his team’s success. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)

Editor's Note: This is our dearly departed billboard, which we had at Road America for several years. Peter gifted the phrase "America's National Park of Speed" to the track, which now uses it proudly in all of its communications. -WG

Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG