Elzie Wylie Baker Jr. (1941 - 2015)

Born 25 Jan 1941 in Florence, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died 10 Aug 2015 at age 74 in Lake Norman of Catawba, Catawba, North Carolina, United States

Biography

Elzie Baker Jr. is Notable.

BIRTH January 25, 1941 Florence, South Carolina, U.S.

MARRIGES^[2]

• Colleen Estes and Buddy were married in 1960
  • Cildren: Bryan S. Baker and Brandon, 47, from Jacksonville, Florida.
• Patricia Shane Prendergast Baker

DEATH August 10, 2015 (aged 74) Lake Norman of Catawba, North Carolina, U.S.

BURIAL [https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/7975/forest-lawn-memorial-park? Forest Lawn Memorial Park' Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA

BIOGRAPHY

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.

Known by the nickname "Gentle Giant," Baker was noted for his prowess at NASCAR's superspeedways, Daytona and Talladega, at which he won a combined six races. After his racing career, he worked as a broadcaster and co-hosted a number of radio shows on Sirius XM.

Baker won his first race in 1967, winning the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. On March 24, 1970, he became the first driver ever to exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) on a closed course, accomplishing the feat while testing his blue Dodge Daytona.

He became known for his skill at superspeedways; in his career, he won four races at Talladega and two at Daytona, including the 1980 Daytona 500. Baker's victory in that race remains the fastest Daytona 500 in NASCAR history, posting an average speed of 177.602 mph (285.809 km/h).

LATER LIFE: After his retirement, Baker became a television broadcaster, acting as an analyst initially for The Nashville Network beginning in 1991, and later for TBS and CBS beginning in 1996.

As a commentator, he helped call some of the most legendary moments in NASCAR history, including the first Winston All-Star Race held at night, the last 500-mile race at Dover in 1997, Dale Earnhardt's only Daytona 500 win, and the first race at Daytona to be held under the lights in Prime Time.

He remained with all 3 networks until the new consolidated television package took effect beginning with the 2001 season, after which he stepped away from the broadcasting booth.

In 2007, Baker became the part-time co-host of "The Driver's Seat" with John Kernan on Sirius XM's new NASCAR Radio channel. He later became a regular on "Tradin' Paint" with Steve Post and co-host on "Late Shift" with Alex Hayden.

On July 7, 2015, Baker announced his retirement from broadcasting, and revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. During his final broadcast, he told his audience, "Do not shed a tear. Give a smile when you say my name".[3]

Baker died on August 10, 2015, at his home in Catawba County, North Carolina. During the August 2015 race weekend at Michigan International Speedway, the drivers in all three NASCAR series placed stickers on their cars to honor Baker's legacy.

Achievements

• 1980 Daytona 500 Winner
• 1970 Southern 500 Winner
• 1968, 1972, 1973 World 600 Winner
• 1975, 1976, 1980 Winston 500 Winner
• 1979 Busch Clash Winner

Awards

• Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
• International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1995)
• National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1997)
• Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends (1995)
• NASCAR Hall of Fame (2020)
• NASCAR Cup Series career
• 700 races run over 33 years

Stats

• Best finish 5th (1977)
• First race 1959 untitled race (Columbia)
• Last race 1992 Winston 500 (Talladega)
• First win 1967 National 500 (Charlotte)
• Last win 1983 Firecracker 400 (Daytona)
• Wins: 19
• Top tens: 311
• Poles: 38

NASCAR Grand National East Series

• 8 races run over 2 years
• Best finish 15th (1973)
• First race 1972 Sandlapper 200 (Columbia)
• Last race 1973 Buddy Shuman 100 (Hickory)
• First win 1972 Sandlapper 200 (Columbia)
• Last win 1973 Sunoco 260 (Hickory)
• Wins: 4
• Top tens:
• Poles: 2

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Baker
2. ↑ Fabwags https://fabwags.com/patricia-shane-baker-nascar-buddy-bakers-wife/#more-49031