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Elzie Wylie " Buddy " Baker Jr. (January 25, 1941 – August 10, 2015) was an American professional stock car racing driver and commentator. Over the course of his 33-year racing career, he won 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1980 Daytona 500.
Aug 10, 2015 · CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Buddy Baker, who won the 1980 Daytona 500 and at 6-foot-6 was NASCAR’s “Gentle Giant,” died Monday. He was 74. Baker died after a brief battle with lung cancer, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio said.
Aug 10, 2015 · Former NASCAR driver Buddy Baker died Monday morning at the age of 74. Born Elzie Wylie Baker Jr., he was the first driver to exceed 200 mph on a closed course in 1970 at Talladega Superspeedway.
In 1980, Buddy Baker won the Daytona 500 with an average race speed of 177.602 mph—a track record that still stands. In 1970, Baker became the first driver to eclipse the 200-mph mark on a closed course while testing at Talladega Superspeedway.
Jan 25, 2021 · See photos of Buddy Baker, the "Leadfoot" driver who won the Daytona 500 in 1980 and joined his father Buck in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Learn about his achievements, teammates, car owners and TV career.
Buddy was the king of speed, winning at the fastest tracks, Daytona and Talladega, with regularity. He won the Winston 500 in 1975, 1976 and 1980, and the Talladega 500 in 1975. At Daytona, he won the Daytona 500 in 1980, and the Firecracker 400 in 1983.
Jul 9, 2015 · Baker often left listeners grinning, whether in person or across the miles and miles of airwaves. You don’t need to know Buddy Baker to understand he had a lasting impact on the sport. Here’s...
