It is almost necessary to recount the life of Buddy Baker, although briefly, to give those persons who may not be familiar with him, a perspective of who he was and why his influence on the sport of stock car racing means a lot. Buddy was born in Florence, South Carolina on January 25, 1941, son of Elzie Wylie Baker, Sr., better known as Buck. Buck would go on to become a NASCAR superstar, winning the Southern 500 at Darlington three times among other accomplishments unique to Buck's career. I can only imagine that Buddy had the usual childhood of a boy in the South during the decade of the forties, but it would be the decade of the 50s that would begin to influence his life. Buddy's Dad was busy running, and winning, NASCAR Grand National races around the Southeast.
Whether it was Buck's or Buddy's decision to have Buddy mount up in Buck's year old 1958 Chevrolet on June 18, 1959, depends upon who told the story, or which account you may choose to read. Nevertheless, the facts record that Buddy qualified the number 89 Chevy 18th fastest in the field of 21 starters. Buddy would be parked in the pits on lap 53 due to shock absorber problems. But the career was started. Just so happened Buddy made this first start at Columbia Speedway and although I was there for that 100 miler, the only vague memory I may have of Buddy Baker is how tall he was compared to the other drivers. Can you imagine that comparison of 6 feet 6 inches tall compared with today's micro-mini drivers? That would almost be laughable. Buddy's first NASCAR Grand National finish was 14th.
The Bakers, father and son, would field big Chryslers, numbers 86 and 87 in 1960,'61 and '62. Not hugely successful, but those cars were always a part of the events. Somewhere in my collection of small photos is a picture of the two red 1962 Chryslers after they fell out of the 1962 Southern 500.
Looking back at Buddy's career in the record books, I was shocked to read he only competed in all the seasons events in three seasons although he started his career at Columbia Speedway in 1959 and ended it at Talladega in 1992. He was never a Grand National Champion. He started 688 Grand National races, winning 19 times, 17 of those on superspeedways. He finished in the top five 202 times and in the top ten 311 times.
Buddy's first win came at Charlotte, in the October race, in 1967. He would be the man to end the King’s 10 race winning streak in the season where Richard would win 27 of 46 races and he did it in a field filled with racing's top stars from NASCAR and USAC stars which included Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock, Jack Bowsher and Paul Goldsmith. Baker used his skill to miss several huge wrecks and his foot to put that Ray Fox Dodge out front for good on lap 257 to lead the rest of the way. I vividly remember the excitement in Victory Lane that day as Buddy was one to be very excitable when things were going his way on the racetrack.
Buddy would be the first man to post a speed in excess of 200 mph in a NASCAR stock car on a closed course. He accomplished that at Talladega in a Cotton Owens Dodge in 1970. Often overlooked or acknowledged, is the fact that Buddy was the first driver to win the "Big Four" events. Those events were held at Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte, and Darlington. Did you know that before I told you? I didn't know it until I was researching for this Legendtorial. In review, Buddy won at Charlotte in '67, '68, '72, and '73. Darlington was his in '70 and '71. Talladega would see him claim both events in 1975, once in 1976 and once in 1980. Only eight other drivers have accomplished that feat, those being Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. Even so, it was the Daytona 500 Buddy wanted and he wanted that bad.
On February 17, 1980, Buddy would not only win the Daytona 500, but he would do so is such a manner as to shake the racing world. Buddy would lead 143 of the 200 laps and would finish 12 seconds ahead of second place EVEN THOUGH THE FINAL LAP WAS RUN UNDER CAUTION. Even with 15 laps run under caution, Buddy averaged 177.602 miles per hour, a speed that would stand for decades. Waddell Wilson, the main man on the Harry Ranier owned Oldsmobile tells the story of the last pit stop in that race when he knew he had to get a certain amount of gasoline in the car for Baker to finish 500 miles. Waddell said Buddy was so intent on getting back on the track that the only way to keep Buddy in check was to reach in and grab the front of his driver's uniform until the required gas was put in. Buddy got back on the track and was gone, literally gone. Many drivers said Buddy was so fast there was no keeping him in sight. Buddy got his Daytona 500 win that cool and sunny Sunday afternoon as 125,000 fans watched him do it. Buddy would win at Daytona again, in 1983, in the Firecracker 400 while driving the Wood Brothers Ford. He didn't dominate as he did in the 500, but a win is a win is a win and with Buddy Baker, every win, every single win, was just as exciting for him as the one before or the one to come.
Other accomplishments in his racing career or as the result of his racing career would include his selection as one of 50 of NASCAR's all-time greats. He is tenth on the all time list of pole winners with 40. In 1995, he was included in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega in 1997. He is currently on the list for consideration into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, which in my opinion is an honor to which he is most definitely entitled and overdue.
When Buddy gave up the steering wheel, he went to work in broadcasting, first with TNN television before joining the CBS team. He was still in broadcasting for NASCAR's Sirius XM radio network, which was begun in 2007. Buddy had the kind of voice that was a complete pleasure to the listeners' ears. He may have had a "Southern Accent" but I really think it was more of a Buddy Baker distinctive accent that made his race descriptions and race reporting so entertaining. And, speaking of entertainment!!!! Very few could tell a more descriptive story than could Buddy Baker. If you never heard him tell about rolling out of the back of an ambulance, on a gurney to which he was strapped after an accident, as the ambulance was crossing the track in route to the hospital, you will have to find that recording somewhere. There is no way I would even attempt to relay that story after hearing Buddy tell it in his own words. Link: Ambulance Ride
While many of Buddy's comments seemed to come from his mouth before his mind was fully engaged, thus the entertainment value, such was not the case. I believe every word Buddy ever spoke was backed up by due consideration of the subject. Example: In 1970, he was interviewed before the Southern 500 and, as best I can recall, the exact quote is "driving at Darlington is like walking on a tightrope coated with grease". Baker would go on to take the number 6 Cotton Owens Dodge Daytona to victory, leading the last 63 laps in fine style. Buddy nearly spun with nine laps to go because even with his lead, he wouldn't back off on the slick ribbon of asphalt under the hot Carolina sun. After the race, Buddy said he had been dreaming of winning the Southern 500 from the age of nine. I guess his father winning three times was just more impetus for Buddy to bring home a Southern 500 victory. Grease or not, he hung on to that tightrope.
You know, either I read somewhere, or perhaps I heard someone say it once, that most grave markers have the date of birth and the date of death separated by a hyphen, or sometimes called a "dash". What I am recalling is the comment that it is what the hyphen represents that is so often forgotten about a person. I have very lightly touched on the storied career of this Gentle Giant that, in no way, can begin to attest to who Buddy Baker was, is, and will always be. He was unique in so many ways. The hyphen on Buddy's marker will represent a life well lived and tremendously successful.
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Memory Lane Museum Hall of Fame[/caption]
One of the perks of being The Legend is my participation in many events at which I sit behind a table, with other icons of the sport, and meet fans, sign autographs and pose for photos. I was a part of a couple of those events in which Buddy Baker The Gentle Giant was also a participant. One of those events found Buddy and I seated side-by-side for a couple of hours as hundreds of folks filed through Memory Lane Museum. I heard many of Buddy's stories first hand that day. We also had the opportunity to share some personal conversation after the event. I remember Buddy's comment that he couldn't believe all those folks would come see drivers who hadn't been on the track in years. He was so impressed at the number of folks who took time to share their personal Buddy Baker memories with him. I don't think Buddy realized the impact he had on the sport, always believing he was very fortunate to enjoy the success he did in racing. He was a humble man who was honored by those who came to remember him that day.
The most quoted line from Buddy’s last Sirius XM show was “Do not shed a tear when you say my name. I am not saying goodbye, just talk to you later". Very quotable and very Buddy Baker. The last words Buddy said in his last broadcast, which lasted 40 minutes was "I just want to say goodbye to everyone. Thanks for being a friend". "Thanks for being a friend". I think that exemplifies the large part of the real Buddy Baker. He was a friend to all, a humble man devoted to racing, and someone who felt deeply honored that fans would remember him more than 20 years after he last dismounted a racecar. Throughout his career, I was fortunate enough to be at many of the races in which Buddy competed. I would often find myself in conversation with him, especially when he was driving for the Petty team, and while I remember times of huge disappointment when falling out of a race. What I remember most about Buddy was his always-competitive attitude and that although he may be out of the race that day, there is always the next one, and he was ready to put that right foot down and go to the front. There was no other position of the speedway satisfactory to Buddy than first place. Go to the front, lead every lap, and win the race. That was Buddy Baker.
Buddy, I'm going to be so bold as to say you and I are friends. We shared several hours together more than once and shared a lot of memories of races you drove and I watched. So, I would guess, the appropriate thing for me to say is "thanks for being a friend". You made racing a better sport and you made the lives of many people better for having been around you. Yes, you were the gentle giant. You will always be Buddy Baker The Gentle Giant.
