Buddy Baker won 19 races and ranks 14th in NASCAR history with 38 poles in his 700 career starts from 1959-1992. ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images
Buddy Baker, noted for a 34-year career in NASCAR's top series that produced 19 victories including the 1980 Daytona 500, died Monday morning from lung cancer. He was 74.
Buddy Baker won 19 races and ranks 14th in NASCAR history with 38 poles in his 700 career starts from 1959-1992. ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images
The 6-foot-6 Baker, the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker, was known for his all-out style, one that allowed him to win four times at Talladega, four times at Charlotte, twice at Darlington and twice at Daytona. He ranks 14th in NASCAR history with 38 poles in his 700 career starts from 1959-1992. He had 202 top-fives and 311 top-10s.
In 1998, the "Gentle Giant" was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers.
He finished in the top-10 in the standings five times with a best of fifth in 1977. He raced mainly for his family team at the start of his career and then for several car owners, including Ray Fox, Cotton Owens, Richard Petty, Nord Krauskopf, Bud Moore, Harry Ranier, the Wood Brothers and Danny Schiff.
Baker was the first driver to exceed 200 mph on a closed course when he did it in 1970 at Talladega Superspeedway.