“The first thing the veterans told me is that it’s impossible, that you’ll never beat us. But every time you get a little overconfident like that, you get knocked back about 50 feet. “Then you say, hey, maybe I’ll make it now. “The first time I beat them I realized you’re not really beating them, you’re beating the day or the situation,” he said. RacingOne // Getty Imagesīaker said he grew up racing against men he called his heroes. That speed remains a 500 record.īuddy Baker at the 1966 Daytona 500. Driving a car nicknamed the Gray Ghost because of its black and gray paint scheme, one that made his approaching car almost invisible to competitors, he won the race with a stunning average speed of 177.602 miles per hour.

Richard Petty started the race with a streak of 10 straight wins and finally saw his near-complete domination of the tour halted.Īlthough Baker celebrated his first victory with numerous adjectives, he often told friends that nothing could top his win in the 1980 Daytona 500. Baker called it “the greatest day of my life.” Baker’s win was noteworthy beyond it being his first. Baker outran second-place Bobby Isaac by one-lap-plus in a Ray Fox Dodge. Three years earlier, Baker had scored his first Cup victory, leading the final 78 laps on the way to victory in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His speed of 200.447 mph was recorded on March 24, 1970. Buddy Baker poses with the Chrysler factory car he set the official world’s closed course record in at Talladega.

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