Buddy Baker, NASCAR's Gentle Giant, Passes Away

NASCAR legend Buddy Baker (Google Images)

The NASCAR community was saddened Monday morning when it was learned that Buddy Baker, the "Gentle Giant" of the Cup Series garage passed away after a battle with lung cancer. Baker, the champion of the 1980 Daytona 500, was 74.

Standing a lofty 6-feet 6-inches tall, Elzie Wylie "Buddy" Baker was one of the tallest racers on the circuit.  A 19-time Cup Series winner, Baker was also one of the most successful and most daring drivers as well. He made his first NASCAR start in 1959, following in the footsteps of his famous father, two-time NASCAR champion and hall of famer Buck Baker. In addition to winning a Harley J. Earl Trophy in 1980, Baker also won the prestigious Southern 500 in 1970 and the World 600 (now the Coca-Cola 600) three times in 1968, '72 and '73. Both he and his father were also named to the list of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and, like his father, Baker no doubt has a space waiting for him in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Baker was known in his later years for his broadcasting work. He was a broadcaster for both TNN and CBS. Then, in 2007, SiriusXM started a NASCAR channel and Baker was tabbed to co-host a few talk shows. He began his radio career as on "The Driver's Seat" with John Kernan. Then in 2011, Baker moved over to work on both "The Late Shift," with Brad Gillie and "Tradin' Paint," with Jim Noble. It was on the July 7th installment of "The Late Shift" that Baker announced that doctors had found a "huge tumor" in his lung last December. Because the tumor was inoperable, he also announced he was retiring immediately.

"There comes a time when you talk to the doctor and say what are my chances and there's a dead silence," Baker said. "I [asked the doctor] 'how long.' [He said], 'Well, we don't own the hotel, we don't know when we check out. It's something that we cannot fix.'" However, Baker told listeners that this wasn't goodbye. "Do not shed a tear. Give a smile when you say my name. I'm not saying goodbye. Just talk to you later."



Baker poses with his record-setting time at Talladega in 1970 (Google Images)

We will always smile when we think of Buddy Baker. But given how immensely  popular he was and how much fans loved him, it will be hard not to shed a tear or two for the driver who was also known as "Leadfoot."

Baker was best when he could run his car wide open; foot to the floor and not giving an inch. In fact, he only won at Martinsville once, a race that he told Tom Higgins of the Charlotte Observer he drove like "a bull in a China shop." But it was Daytona and Talladega where Baker showed his true racing skills. Ten years earlier in March 1970, Baker would become the first man to drive faster than 200 mph. He was on a test run at Alabama International Motor Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway), when Baker got his blue and white No. 88 Dodge Charger Daytona to go around the 2.66 mile track at a staggering 200.447 mph. But it wasn't just 'Dega where he found success.

Baker's most famous win, the 1980 Daytona 500 came at NASCAR's other Superspeedway. Baker also won the pole for the race in Harry Rainer's No. 28 Oldsmobile Cutlass that would become known simply as the "Gray Ghost." The name came from the car's black and grey color scheme that blended in with the asphalt. As Baker sped around Daytona's high banks, it made the car nearly impossible to see coming. The Olds also showcased a number that had a reflective chrome look to it, which only aided in camouflaging the Cutlass. This is part of the reason why teams are not allowed to run reflective numbers today. The paint scheme was so popular that Dale Earnhardt Jr ran it on his No. 88 car in the 2008 All-Star Race. Junior also posted a YouTube link to a video of the entire 1980 Daytona 500 Monday afternoon. If you have a couple of hours to kill, why not take a trip down memory lane or, like me, watch the race for the first time in it's entirety. Baker's dominance really is something to see.

This race still holds up today as the fastest Daytona 500 in history. Baker's pace in the event was 177.602 mph has been the record pace for the last 35 years. He won the race in his eighteenth try, the longest stretch until Dale Earnhardt would win the 1998 installment of the 500 in his twentieth attempt.

Baker races the Gray Ghost around Daytona (Google Images)

But Baker also had a heart as big as the shoes he used to hold the gas pedal down on his way to Daytona's victory lane.

Baker raced hard and drove to win and he lived his life with the same energy and enthusiasm that propelled him to such great success behind the wheel. He quickly became a fan favorite behind the microphone too, with his distinctly high voice and soft-spoken manner making him an unforgettable broadcaster. Before he rescinded his post at SiriusXM, Baker said the thing he would miss the most was talking with the fans he loved so much. "The toughest part for me is not being able to talk to some of our regulars that are almost like family," he said of those fans who would call in frequently to discuss and debate the latest news around the NASCAR garage.

Baker might have been a gentle giant, but that doesn't mean he wasn't tough as well. His "leave-it-all-on-the-track" mentality proved he was as fearless as a racer can come. Not surprisingly, Baker faced his illness with that same courage. Baker told Higgins, "I'm right with The Man Upstairs. If I feared death, I never would have driven a race car." He also mentioned that he hoped to hear from more of his friends in the racing community before he passed.

"This sport's been great to me and given me a wonderful life," he said to Higgins. "And the friends I've made! Lots have either called or come by. I hope to hear from others. I want to tell all of them goodbye for now and see you later."

Rest in peace, Buddy Baker. You will be sorely missed and all of your friends and fans can't wait to catch up with you later and talk racing with you again.