Career
Born in Bellingham, Washington, Baker began his career racing on the dirt track ovals of the Pacific Northwest. His good results earned him a factory sponsored ride with the Yamaha factory team for the 1977 season. He began the year by winning the prestigious Daytona 200 before traveling to Europe to compete in the world championships.
He was released by the Yamaha team after the season and competed in the 1978 championship on a privately supported Suzuki.
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 legal Afterwards, he decided to retire from competitive racing.
After his racing career, Baker purchased a motorcycle dealership in his hometown of Bellingham. He was inducted into the American Medical Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position).
