Buck Baker | |||||||
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Born | Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. March 4, 1919 Richburg, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
Died | April 14, 2002 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.[1] | (aged 83)||||||
Achievements | 1956 Grand National Series Champion 1957 Grand National Series Champion 1952 NASCAR Speedway Division Champion 1953, 1960, 1964 Southern 500 Winner Led Grand National Series in wins (1956, 1957) Led Grand National Series in poles (1956, 1957) | ||||||
Awards | Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1998) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2013) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) | ||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
635 races run over 26 years | |||||||
Best finish | 1st (1956, 1957) | ||||||
First race | 1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte) | ||||||
Last race | 1976 National 500 (Charlotte) | ||||||
First win | 1952 (Columbia) | ||||||
Last win | 1964 Southern 500 (Darlington) | ||||||
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NASCAR Grand National East Series career | |||||||
12 races run over 2 years | |||||||
Best finish | 11th (1972) | ||||||
First race | 1972 Bold City 200 (Jacksonville) | ||||||
Last race | 1973 Sunoco 260 (Hickory) | ||||||
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NASCAR Convertible Division career | |||||||
20 races run over 3 years | |||||||
Best finish | 23rd (1958) | ||||||
First race | 1957 Rebel 300 (Darlington) | ||||||
Last race | 1959 Race #14 (Greenville-Pickens) | ||||||
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Statistics current as of May 9, 2018. |
Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. (March 4, 1919 – April 14, 2002), better known as Buck Baker, was an American stock car racer. Born in Richburg, South Carolina, Baker began his NASCAR career in 1949 and won his first race three years later at Columbia Speedway. Twenty-seven years later, Baker retired after 1976 National 500.
During his NASCAR Cup Series career, Baker won two championships, 46 races and 45 pole positions, as well as recorded 372 top-tens. In 1957, he became the first driver to win two consecutive championships in the series. Between 1957 and 1959 Baker competed in the NASCAR Convertible Division. From 1972 to 1973, he competed in the Grand National East Series, where he recorded five top-tens in twelve races. On May 23, 2012, it was announced that he would be inducted into the 2013 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013.