Famous Like Me > Actor > B > Buck Baker
Profile of Buck Baker
on Famous Like Me |
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Name: |
Buck Baker |
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Also Know As: |
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Date of Birth: |
1st September 1954 |
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Place of Birth: |
Orange, Texas, USA |
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Profession: |
Actor |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Elzie Wylie "Buck" Baker Sr.
Born: |
March 4, 1919 |
Birthplace: |
Richburg, South Carolina |
Awards: |
1957 Grand National Champion
1956 Grand National Champion
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
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NASCAR Cup statistics |
636 races run over 26 years. |
Best Cup Position: |
1st - 1956, 1957 (Grand National) |
First Race: |
1949 untitled race (Charlotte Speedway) |
Last Race: |
1976 National 500 (Charlotte) |
First Win: |
1952 untitled race (Columbia Speedway) |
Last Win: |
1964 Southern 500 (Darlington) |
Wins |
Top Tens |
Poles |
46 |
372 |
45 |
Elzie Wylie "Buck" Baker Sr. (March 4, 1919 in Richburg, South Carolina - April 14, 2002 in Charlotte, North Carolina) was an American racecar driver.
Baker entered his first race in 1939 in Greenville, South Carolina, but didn't finish it because one of his tires came off. Despite his inauspicious start, miraculously Baker went on to become one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR's history. He was the first back-to-back winner of the Grand National (now Nextel Cup) Championship in 1956 and 1957. He was second twice (1955 and 1958) and finished in the top five on four other occasions.
Baker's 682 NASCAR starts (44 from the pole) ranks him third all-time and his 46 victories rank him 13th. In 1953, 1960 and 1964, Baker won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
In 1967 Baker switched to NASCAR's Grand American division, where he was also very successful.
After his retirement in 1976, Baker opened up the Buck Baker Racing School, where Jeff Gordon drove his first stock car. His son, Buddy Baker is a 34-year Winston Cup veteran and now teaches at the school along with Buck's daughter, Susie Baker.
Baker was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1982 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.
In 1998 he was named one of the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history.
Buck Baker passed away in 2002 at the age of 83.
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