Fred Lorenzen is the first known NASCAR driver to be diagnosed with CTE.

Posted by Apple News Today, Oct 21, 2026Checked Oct 30, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 5 support3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 90%

Apple News TodayOct 21, 2026

Multiple tier1 and independent outlets (Reuters/Field Level Media, LA Times, USA Today, AP-linked coverage, Racer) report that the Boston University CTE Center diagnosed Fred Lorenzen posthumously with stage 3 CTE, making him the first known NASCAR driver diagnosed with the disease; the claim matches the sources, with the 'first known' qualifier preserved.

What was said

… A former NASCAR driver has been diagnosed posthumously with CTE, the brain disease that's often identified in former professional football players. Fred Lorenzen is the first known NASCAR driver to be diagnosed with CTE. He died in 2024 after living with dementia for about 20 years, and he and his family pledged to donate his brain for research. …

Apple News Today · Oct 21, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. Reuters/Field Level Media reports the Boston University CTE Center diagnosed Lorenzen with Stage 3 CTE, making him the first known NASCAR driver linked to the disease.[1]

Supports. The Concussion & CTE Foundation release and LA Times, USA Today, and Racer all describe Lorenzen as the first known or first NASCAR driver diagnosed with CTE.[3][4][5][6]

Context. AP describes Lorenzen as the second known driver to pledge brain donation, after Dale Earnhardt Jr.; this concerns donation pledges, not CTE diagnosis, so it does not contradict the claim.[2]

Context. Diagnosis came from post-mortem brain tissue analysis after Lorenzen died in December 2024; the claim's wording does not mention this, and it does not change the verdict.[7][8]