Inspired by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s decision to donate his brain for concussion research, Hall of Fame NASCAR driver Fred Lorenzen and his family have decided to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University. The 81 year-old is currently battling dementia and is just the second NASCAR driver to donate his brain along with Earnhardt. Lorenzen won 26 races in NASCAR’s top division, culminating in winning the 1965 Daytona 500 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Lorenzen’s granddaughter Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom made the announcement this past Friday with Legacy founder Chris Nowinski and will be a huge step in figuring out if race car drivers are possibly suffering the same fate as so many NFL players.
Fred Lorenzen raced at a time where safety in auto racing was more optional than a requirement. In the 60’s, NASCAR race cars were literally what you drove on the road, just stripped out in the inside. Driver attire was more along the lines of a long sleeve jacket than a firesuit, helmets were pretty much an open-faced motorcycle helmet and there was no window net or form of head restraint. So it was very easily to be seriously hurt or killed in a race car back in the 60’s.
When Lorenzen raced in NASCAR, it was normal for a driver to be in as many has 62 races over a season. So by racing at least once a week, there was hardly any time to recuperate if you were ever injured. Lorenzen was a part time racer and even though he usually only raced in a quarter of the races in a season, his family is convinced Lorenzen has CTE even though he was never officially diagnosed with a concussion.
Gardstrom, speaking on the behalf of the Lorenzen family said,
“As a family, we decided we wanted to support Dale Jr. and all work together toward a healthy future for these drivers.”
“It’s the younger generation that we really need to educate. They’re young, they’re hungry, but when they get in a wreck and get a concussion, they know if they don’t get back in the car, someone else is going to take it. We want to change the culture of the sport.”
Gardstrom makes a great point. In a series where only 40 drivers can race in the Sprint Cup, many drivers are fearful of losing their spot if they sit out due to concussions or any other medical reason. As one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the few people who would have no trouble finding a ride so that may make his decision to sit out a bit easier. But, what if Earnhardt was just starting out and trying to make his name in the sport?
Despite the news about Dale Jr. sitting out, it doesn’t appear those within NASCAR are all that concerned about concussions. Sprint Cup champions Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson among other drivers haven’t really thought about it all that much.
“That hasn’t necessarily been a hot topic of conversation in any of our meetings.” Kyle Busch said.
While Jimmie Johnson said, “I am an organ donor so it wouldn’t bother me to do that, but it’s something I’ve not taken steps in and have not discussed at all.”
While NASCAR now has a concussion protocol, there is still progress to be made. For one thing, a driver only undergoes concussion protocol when their car is so damaged from a crash that they can’t drive away and go back to the garage. Even though Dale Earnhardt Jr. did what he felt was the right thing and sat out because of concussion symptoms, he didn’t undergo concussion protocol when he crashed at Michigan and Daytona because he was able to drive away from the crash and go back to the garage. So, that would appear to be a major loophole in the rule.
As we are discovering athletes from other sports, mostly those in the NFL, having CTE, it wouldn’t be that shocking if it was discovered that NASCAR drivers, or any race car driver for that matter, were to have CTE. Racing in 150-200 mph conditions with hard walls all around you to hit when you crash, probably isn’t good for the brain, even though the drivers head isn’t literally hitting anything. The G-forces alone from a car hitting a wall would likely have detrimental effects on a human brain. It won’t be shocking if more race car drivers do the same thing as Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Fred Lorenzen and donate their brain for concussion research.
