1958

March 23rd

It would be a Buck Baker day. After taking qualifying he throughly dominated most of the 110 lap race but had to make a comeback after a pitstop. It took him 25 laps to regain the top spot and he took the win over Marvin Panch.

September 28th

The Grand National drivers made it back to the speedway. It would be an attrition filled day but would end with an upset win. Tiny Lund grabbed the pole and he and Cotton Owens would battle for the lead for the first 46 laps. Then Lund’s A-frame broke while leading, it would be an omen. Junior Johnson grabbed the lead and led until he crashed on the 98th lap. That gave the lead to Joe Eubanks and he went to score an upset victory for his first career win over Doug Cox.

1957——1959

Buck Baker

Buck Baker was born on March 4, 1919 in Richburg, SC. Buck entered his first race in 1939. He started his Grand National career in 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. He would go on to win his first time in 1952 at Columbia Speedway in South Carolina. Later that same year he took the 1952 Nascar Speedway Division Championship. In 1956 and 1957 he was Nascar’s first back to back championship winner in the Grand National division. He would go on to win 46 total career wins in that division. He collected his last win at the 1964 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. At Occoneechee/Orange Speedway he would collect 3 total wins. Buck finished his career with his final race at the 1976 National 500. Buck Baker died on April 14, 2002 in Charlotte, NC.

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