Buddy Baker inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame | Motorsports on NBC

[Music] it's wonderful to see NASCAR honor its hero's past and present with its induction into their prestigious Hall of Fame one of those heroes is Buddy Baker as a winning very successful race car driver and well respected TV and radio commentator he contributed immensely into NASCAR's popularity today I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the rest of the inductees this evening have a wonderful event Godspeed to all the active leader in polls can put the pedal to the floor and produce blistering speeds like the man he'll introduce please welcome the rocket man Ryan Newman [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this hero of mine had a gift for words and once said you can tell you're in trouble when you feel on the air the back of your neck instead of in your face the only thing faster than his wit was a speed in a race car my favorite quote of his was it's your story just tell it how you want to I've visited him when he was up on jack stands when he was close to the finish line I told him that I was disappointed that we never got to race each other and then if we both make it to heaven that is the first thing that I want to do within a second hesitation he said that won't even be fair and I asked why and then he said I will have already tested once he got to the front no one was getting by him one of the greatest behind the wheel and kind enough to think of me as a son when you saw buddy walking around you instantly thought fast he was the sight to behold any racetrack that had one groove racetrack he was hard to beat Baker refuses to be intimidated by the master horses petty out of a flop when the super speed wise is fearless the checkered flag I've wanted win the things that though at nine years old when my dad used to win here and now here I am in victory circle it's just a country boy's dream comes true here I am a Hall of Fame legacy Buddy Baker learned from his father buck Baker while paving his own path known as the gentle giant Buddy Baker's smile was as famous as his speed buddy was big and stature but he was really about of soft heart but he was just one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet but when you got any of the racetrack it was all about winning races this is all you see it's like it he looked left or right enough he's just like that right there gritting his teeth and he drove every lap like it in 1972 and 1973 Baker won back-to-back world six hundreds at Charlotte proving himself a force to be reckoned with at NASCAR's biggest races buddy Baker's passion carried him into a career spanning 34 years winning 19 races in the premier series here they come a difference of $32,000 goes to body Baker over Darrell Waltrip in second place in 1980 Buddy Baker set a new world record while driving the famed Gray Ghost a record that still stands today record for 500 miles I'd like to play a lot of things I just don't I can't I haven't just I'm caught up in myself right now [Music] after retiring in 1992 Baker traded the wheel for a microphone and transitioned into his next great career path lotta guys do talk racing not many of them are too funny and if you had an accomplished a lot I would have never picked on you like I have his style and his easiness came across to fans through the TV camera and through the radio it was the voice in the face of Buddy Baker is very much a cornerstone of what NASCAR will always be like [Music] representing the 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Baker please welcome his sister Susie Baker [Applause] and to induct Buddy Baker please welcome NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelly and longtime friend and track promoter humpy wheeler [Applause] thank you very much Ryan it is now my honor to join buddy baker's good friend humpy wheeler on this the 31st day of January 2020 as he presents the NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee ring to Suzie Baker representing the Baker family and officially induct Buddy Baker into the NASCAR Hall of Fame you hey motor sports fans thanks for watching make sure you hit subscribe before you go for all the latest news and highlights across motorsports

Channel: Motorsports on NBC

Views: 6,545

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: NBC, Sports, NBCSN, NASCAR, Sprint Cup, XFINITY, Racing, Professional, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, Golf, Athlete, Tennis, Olympics, nascar hall of fame, nascar hall of fame 2020, nascar news, nascar interview, buddy baker, buddy baker tribute, buddy baker nascar, buddy baker hall of fame, buddy baker history, buddy baker biography

Id: IXbcM4g_eCQ

Length: 6min 10sec (370 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 31 2020