Legendary NASCAR Driver Buddy Baker Dies Of Cancer At 74 - NPR
He was one of racing's fastest drivers, the first in NASCAR to take a car to 200 mph on a closed course. Now, a month after lung cancer forced him to finally retire, Buddy Baker has died at age 74. Baker won the pole position 40 times and finished first in 19 NASCAR races. In 1980, he won the Daytona 500 by driving at an average of more than 177 mph – a mark that still stands as the fastest in the race's history. Born in 1941 in Florence, S. C. , Baker's full name was Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. He died at his Lake Norman home, outside of Charlotte, according to The Charlotte Observer. As that combination suggests, Baker, the son of legendary NASCAR driver Buck Baker, always wanted to be the first to cross the finish line. With a 33-year career as a NASCAR driver, Baker could be said to be part of several generations of the sport. And Baker did it in what could be called the hard way, racing for more than a dozen teams (including his own) and in a variety of cars. In 1970, Baker drove a winged Dodge Charger Daytona beyond what were then the limits of. Source: www.npr.org
