Steve Baker (motorcyclist)

Steve Baker
Steve Baker (2016)
NationalityAmerican
Born (1952-09-05) September 5, 1952 (age 72)
Bellingham, Washington
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1977 - 1978
First race1977 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix
Last race1978 500cc West German Grand Prix
Team(s)Yamaha, Suzuki
ChampionshipsFormula 750 - 1977
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
20 0 7 1 0 122

Steve Baker (born September 5, 1952) is an American former professional motorcycle racer.[1][2] He competed in AMA dirt track and road racing competitions from 1973 to 1976 and in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships in 1977 and 1978.[1][3]

Baker is notable for being the first American to win a road racing world championship when he won the 1977 Formula 750 title.[4] Baker was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[3]

Motorcycle racing career

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Born in Bellingham, Washington, Baker began his career racing on the dirt track ovals of the Pacific Northwest.[4][3] When Yamaha of Canada's rider, Yvon Duhamel, left to join the Kawasaki factory racing team in 1971, Baker was offered Duhamel's place on the team.[5] He then switched to road racing and began competing in Canada, becoming a three-time Canadian champion.[3] His experience racing on the rough, bump-strewn Canadian race tracks would help him later in his career when racing on European tracks.[5]

Baker began competing in the AMA National Championship in 1973 and experienced his first success when he finished second to former world champion Kel Carruthers at the Talladega Superspeedway.[3] In the 1974 season, he suffered a broken leg at Talladega and was forced to miss the rest of the season. In 1975 he scored a second place behind Gene Romero at the Daytona 200, then considered to be one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world.[5][6]

Although Baker's Yamaha motorcycle experienced a mechanical failure at the 1976 Daytona 200, he won the prestigious Imola 200 pre-season race in Europe, then traveled to Great Britain to compete for the North American team in the 1976 Transatlantic Trophy match races which, pitted the best British riders against the top North American road racers on 750cc motorcycles in a six-race series.[7] Baker dominated the series as the top individual points leader winning four of the six races.[8][9]

He then returned the United States to compete in the AMA Grand National Championship where he earned his first AMA national victory when he won the Loudon Classic.[3] He also won the 250cc support class at the Loudon Classic.[3] He repeated his Loudon victories at the Laguna Seca Raceway, again winning the national and the 250c support race.[10] He then returned to Europe where he won the Mallory Park Race of the Year.[11] By the end of the 1976 season, Baker was considered to be Kenny Roberts' equal in road racing.[12]

Baker's good results earned him a factory sponsored ride with the Yamaha factory team for the 1977 season.[3] The 1977 season marked the debut of the Formula 750 World Championship beginning with the Daytona 200.[5] Baker traded the lead with Kenny Roberts several times before he prevailed to win at Daytona.[3][12][13] He finished second to Roberts at the Imola 200, then won in France, Austria and Belgium to win the 1977 Formula 750 title. He also finished second to Barry Sheene in the 500cc world championship.[14][15]

Steve Baker at the 2010 Centennial Classic TT

At the end of the season, the Yamaha team announced that they wanted Baker to return to the United States to compete in the 1978 AMA Grand National Championship.[5] However, Baker was determined to stay and compete in Europe, and with the help of the reigning World Champion, Barry Sheene, he was able to secure a motorcycle and sponsorship as Graziano Rossi's teammate on the Suzuki of Italy racing team operated by former Grand Prix competitor, Roberto Gallina.[5] Baker struggled with the Suzuki and finished the season ranked 7th in the 500cc World Championship.[3] At the end of that season, Baker suffered a devastating accident at the Mosport circuit in Canada that left him with a broken arm and shattered his left leg. Afterwards, he decided to retire from competitive racing.[3]

After his racing career, Baker purchased a motorcycle dealership in his hometown of Bellingham.[3] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[3]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results[1]

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Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Yr Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Pts
1977 500cc Yamaha International VEN
2 		AUT
DNF 		GER
3 		NAT
4 		FRA
3 		NED
5 		BEL
2 		SWE
3 		FIN
12 		CZE
DNF 		GBR
2 		2nd 80
1978 500cc Suzuki Italia VEN
3 		SPA
6 		AUT
DNF 		FRA
NS 		NAT
4 		NED
9 		BEL
DNF 		SWE
4 		FIN
6 		GBR
DNF 		GER
7 		7th 42

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Rider Statistics - Steve Baker". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  2. ^ "Yamaha Profile - Steve Baker". yamaha-motor.com. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Steve Baker at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Archives: The Forerunner to Greatness". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f DeWitt, Norm (2010-09-16). Grand Prix Motorcycle Racers: The American Heroes. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 9781610600453.
  6. ^ Schelzig, Erik. "Daytona 200 celebrates 75th running of once-prestigious race". seattletimes.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Imola 200 race results". racingmemo.free.fr. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Teamwork's The Key" (PDF). Motor Cycle News. 2 April 1980. p. 36. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  9. ^ "John Player Transatlantic Trophy". January 1979. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  10. ^ Amick, Bill (January 1979). "Grand National Series History". Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Race of the Year". Archived from the original on 2011-08-03. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  12. ^ a b "It Was A Piece Of Cake For Baker". si.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  13. ^ "Daytona 200 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Formula 750 world champions". Racing Memo.
  15. ^ "Steve Baker career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
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