BUDDY BAKER - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 345487

BUDDY BAKER


The successful American NASCAR driver is shown holding a trophy and being hugged by two women in this 6x4 black and white photograph, signed in black felt tip


Photograph Signed: “Buddy Baker” in black felt tip. 6x4. B/w. Elzie Wylie “Buddy” Baker, Jr. (1941-2015) was an American NASCAR driver who was the son of two time winner of the NASCAR Championship and a Hall of Fame member Buck Baker and brother of fellow racer Randy Baker. He began his career in 1959 and eleven years later he became the first driver to ever exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) on a closed course; such World Record feat was accomplished in the Chrysler Engineering blue #88 Charger Daytona, which is being restored in Detroit. The same year he had a victory at the Southern 500 and became the first NASCAR driver to win the same race at the same venue as his father. During his career Buddy won nineteen races including the 1980 Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious race, and his victory is still the fastest Daytona 500 ever run, with an average speed of 177.602 mph. In 1997, he joined his father as an inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama; he had previously been inducted into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends in 1995 and into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1997, and the next year he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. From 2011 until his resignation in 2015 due to his illness, Buddy co-hosted Late Shift with Brad Gillie and Tradin Paint with Jim Noble on Sirius XM's channel 90. He stated: “Do not shed a tear. Give a smile when you say my name”. Fine condition.