Buck Baker was born Elzie Wylie Baker on March 4, 1919, in Richburg, South
Carolina.
He was a vital part of NASCAR's history, having learned his driving skills
in the same way Junior Johnson and others learned theirs; while running moonshine along the
back roads of North Carolina.
He was a three time winner of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, pulling into the winner's circle in 1953, 1960 and 1964. Baker's
682 starts are the seventh most and his 44 poles are the ninth most in NASCAR Winston Cup history. He ran the most laps and miles for three consecutive
years beginning in 1955.
Buck Baker started driving at the "advanced" rookie age of 27.
He was a city bus driver before becoming a full time racer. Starting in 1939, Baker quickly made a name for himself on the dirt tracks around Charlotte. His first NASCAR Grand National race was in 1947, and seven years later he decided to run the circuit full time. His first win came in
1952 in a Hudson Hornet in 1952, at a 100 mile event in Columbia, S.C.
The next year he won the Southern 500 and three other races to end the
season in fourth place.
Baker made his mark in the Grand National division when he joined Carl Kiekhaefer's Chrysler 300 Mercury Outboard team.
Baker's first victory for the team came at Phoenix in January 1956. His
1956 record included 14 wins, 12 poles, and his first
championship. In 1957 Buck won 10 races, five poles, and his
second championship by beating Marvin Panch by 760 points. Baker
was the first driver to win back to back Winston Cup Series titles. He
finished second in the points in 1958 and won again at Darlington in
1960 while running the last two laps on a flat tire. His third
Darlington win came in 1964. He competed in the Grand American
Series, the Grand National East Series, and the Winston Cup Series until
he retired in 1976.
Buck Baker ranks third in NASCAR starts and is 13th
on the all-time victory list with 46. Buck left racing in 1976 and
by 1979 he opened the Buck Baker Racing School. Some of those who took
driving lessons from Buck include Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton,
Joe Nemechek, Ricky Craven, and Bobby Hillin. Buck Baker is a
member of six halls of fame, including the National Motorsports Press
Association Hall of Fame, National Auto Racing Hall of Fame,
International Motorsports Hall of Fameand the North Carolina Sports
Hall of Fame, plus he is listed as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers of
all time.
For 20 years, Baker had operated the Buck Baker Racing School,
one of the first schools to teach the skills involved in stock car
racing. The school was based at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham
and also operated at tracks in Atlanta and Bristol, Tenn. It is now run
by his son Buddy.
Baker died Sunday, April 14, 2002 at Carolinas Medical Center. Family
members said he was in the hospital for a procedure involving a
pacemaker that had been implanted earlier.
Baker is survived by his wife of 30 years, Susan Painter Baker; two
sons, legendary race car driver Buddy Baker of Sherrill's Ford and Randy
Baker of Kannapolis; a daughter,
Susie Baker of Charlotte, a sister, two grandsons and two great
granddaughters.
The funeral was held Thursday, April 18,
2002 at the Calvary Church Chapel in
Charlotte.
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