Better known as an endurance motorcycle racer, who gave his name to the Cannonball Run. Later worked as a commissioner for NASCAR, a job role he held until his death, when he had a heart-attack. Baker started his working life in the theatre and vaudeville, but later moved to racing in 1904 when he won a dirt-track motorcycle race near his home. Baker became famous for his point-to-point drives across the United States and it was this that inspired the race in his name after a record breaking drive from New York City to Los Angeles in 1933. He did this via promoting products of many businesses which paid for his racing, which totalled close to a million kilometres. Baker stopped racing for a while before a surprise attempt to qualify for the 1922 Indianapolis 500.

Biography last updated 22 Feb 2017