Fred Lorenzen was an 18-year-old, Elmhurst, Ill. resident when he got involved in stock car racing at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 1953.  The racing newcomer was among the top “amateur” drivers in action at the huge arena, known for being the site of everything from music concerts to the annual College All Star football game with auto racing being a big part of the stadium’s summer schedule year after year. 

 1958 was Lorenzen's year to shine both on the local and national levels as he won the O’Hare Stadium late model championship and the USAC stock car title.  The 23-year-old Lorenzen, a carpenter by trade, won a total of 50 O’Hare events during the year, 17 of them being feature races, including the opening day 25 lapper.   He piloted the Talarico 1957 Chevy No. 28, winning nine of the first 11 features held that season at the high-banked, quarter-mile, paved oval.  Highlighting Lorenzen’s feature wins were the 50-lap Spring Championship win, the 50-lap Mid Season title grind and his win in the 100-lap O’Hare Stadium “leg” of the special Chicago “City Series” which pitted top drivers from O’Hare, Soldier Field and Raceway Park near Blue Island in a series of three special races, one at each track.  Lorenzen also won the “City Series” feature at Soldier Field, but finished second in the overall standings to “City Champion” Bill Lutz, a native of Louisville, Ky.

            Competing in a fresh 1958 Ford with a Holman-Moody engine under the hood, Lorenzen surprised a lot of people by winning the USAC stock car crown in 1958, winning five races out of the seven races he entered.  With financial help from Lou Miller of Lou and Ev’s County Line Pizza, he won at Milwaukee on July 13 to score his first ever USAC victory.  He defeated Pistone and Marshall Teague in the 150-mile event after setting fast time during time trials the day before.  Lorenzen payday was a “hefty” $4,920!