The son of two-time champion Buck Baker, Buddy won 19 Cup races including the 1980 Daytona 500. In 1970 he became the first driver to top 200 mph on a closed course, testing at Talladega. After retiring, he became a beloved broadcaster, co-hosting radio shows and mentoring young drivers with his deep knowledge of the sport.
Baker announced his lung cancer diagnosis in 2015 and died less than seven months later at 74. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, honored as both a driver and one of the sport's great ambassadors.
At a Glance
- Born: January 25, 1941, Florence, South Carolina
- Died: August 10, 2015, Catawba County, North Carolina
- Age: 74
- Cause of death: Lung cancer
Final Resting Place
Sharon Memorial Park, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Photo: Susan I. Grills via Find a Grave
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: Photo by Racing One, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Grave photo: Photo: Susan I. Grills via Find a Grave.