Buddy Baker

For the American composer, see Buddy Baker (composer). For the DC Comics character, see Animal Man.

Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr.
Born	January 25, 1941 (1941-01-25) Florence, South Carolina
Awards	Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee (1995) National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame inductee (1997) Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends inductee (1995)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
700 race(s) run over 33 year(s)
Best finish	5th – 1977 Winston Cup Series season
First race	1959 untitled race (Columbia Speedway)
Last race	1992 Winston 500 (Talladega)
First win	1967 National 500 (Charlotte)
Last win	1983 Firecracker 400 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 19 311 38

Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. (born January 25, 1941 in Florence, South Carolina), nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.

Early life

Baker's 1969 Dodge Daytona

Buddy Baker was born in Florence, South Carolina, the son of two time winner of the NASCAR Championship and a Hall of Fame member Buck Baker. Baker began his NASCAR career in 1959. In 1970, he became the first driver to ever exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) on a closed course. This feat was accomplished in the Chrysler Engineering #88 Charger Daytona, which is being restored in Detroit. The same year, with a victory at the Southern 500, he became the first NASCAR driver to win the same race at the same venue as his father. (Buck did it in 1953.)

Career

During his career, Baker won nineteen races including the 1980 Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious race. His victory remains the fastest Daytona 500 ever run, with an average speed of 177.602 mph (285.809 km/h).

Baker driving at Pocono Raceway in 1985

Baker is one of eight drivers to have won a Career Grand Slam, by winning the sport's four majors – the Daytona 500, Aaron's 499, Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500.; Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson are the other seven to have accomplished the feat. He is the only one of the eight to not win the championship.

He generally raced part-time, competing in every race in only three seasons. He owned a car with Danny Schiff from 1985 to 1989, and was instrumental in the career of Jimmy Spencer. He competed in two International Race of Champions series. His final race in NASCAR was in 1992.

Buddy currently helps run the Buck Baker Racing School with his brother. Buddy Baker was the first driver to exceed the 200 mph mark on March 24, 1970 on a closed course test run. His speed was clocked at 200.447 miles per hour (322.588 km/h); a record that stood for 13 years. That record was finally broken by the late Benny Parsons.

Commentator

From 1991 until 2000, he became a television commentator on The Nashville Network and later (1994–2000) races produced by their World Sports Enterprises division, including CBS races. After the 2000 season Baker could still be heard on TNN, calling the American Speed Association races in 2001 and 2002 with Bob Dillner (their final race call was for the 2002 Winchester 400). During 2007, Buddy could be heard as the part-time co-host of The Driver's Seat with John Kernan on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel 128. As of 2011, Buddy now the co-hosts Late Shift along with Jim Noble on Sirius Satellite Radio. As of January 2011, Buddy is co-owner of Tony Kostelnak Racing.

Awards

In 1997, Buddy Baker joined his father as an inductee in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama. He was inducted into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends in 1995, and into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame inductee in 1997. He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

External links

• Official site
• The Inside Groove.com – Historical Nascar Image Gallery
• Driver stats at racing-reference.info

Preceded by Richard Petty

Daytona 500 Winner 1980

Succeeded by Richard Petty