Buck Baker Captures Southern 500 in Pontiac Thriller
Darlington, S.C., Sept. 5 —
Buck Baker, the veteran Charlotte speedster, steered his 1960 Pontiac to victory Monday in a Southern 500 that mixed heartbreak, heroics, and tragedy before 80,000 sun‑baked fans at Darlington Raceway.
The race was marred by a fiery accident on the 96th lap that claimed three lives — mechanics Paul McDuffie and Charles Sweatlund of Atlanta, and NASCAR official Joe Taylor. Five others were injured, one seriously. Yet the grim shadow did not dull the fierce competition that unfolded across 364 laps of the treacherous mile‑and‑a‑quarter oval.
There were many leaders: Baker, Fireball Roberts, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Cotton Owens, and Joe Weatherly all took turns at the front. Roberts paced the field through the early going, while Baker and young Richard Petty swapped the lead repeatedly as the afternoon wore on.
By lap 315, Petty’s Plymouth faltered with tire trouble, handing the advantage to Baker. Roberts, charging hard in his Pontiac, closed the gap to within a few hundred yards as the caution flag flew on lap 349. With fifteen laps remaining, the crowd braced for a duel between two of NASCAR’s fiercest competitors.
Roberts clawed to within five seconds of Baker, then disaster struck — his clutch failed, ending his bid. Moments later, Baker himself blew a tire. Limping along at barely 25 miles an hour, he coaxed his Pontiac into the pits, took on fresh rubber, and rejoined the race just ahead of the field.
When the dust settled, Baker crossed the finish line a lap and twenty‑two seconds ahead of Rex White, who had been mistakenly credited with the win until official scoring confirmed Baker’s triumph half an hour later.
It was Baker’s second Southern 500 crown — his first since 1953 — and his maiden victory behind the wheel of a Pontiac. His average speed was 105.901 miles per hour, slowed by numerous caution periods. The win was worth roughly $20,000.
Pontiacs have now captured three straight major NASCAR events, silencing critics who doubted the brand’s stamina over 500 miles. Baker’s gritty finish proved that persistence — and a bit of luck — can still rule the day at Darlington.
Courtesy of The Charlotte Observer September 6, 1960 via Newspapers.com
Baker Crew Called Turns — And Buck Took Them Fast
Interpreted from Wilton Garrison, Observer Sports Editor Darlington, S.C., Sept. 6 —
“The race was won from my pit,” grinned 41‑year‑old Elzie ‘Buck’ Baker, the veteran Charlotte driver who steered his Pontiac to one of the most sensational Southern 500 victories ever run.
Baker credited his crew — Jack Smith, Bud Moore, and 300‑pound pit man ‘Big Pop’ Eargle — for plotting the win days before the green flag dropped. “They told me when to go and when not to go,” he said. “The race was really won Saturday when Jack and Bud planned how I’d run.”
The plan was simple: hold back until halfway, then pour it on. Baker followed orders to the letter, picking off the leaders one by one.
“My radio went out halfway,” he recalled, “so Bud signaled me on the blackboard — 121 in traffic, 124 when I had a chance. I hit 140 sometimes when I was running with Fireball.”
The Pontiac was new to Baker, but he liked it. “It ran great — a really fine car,” he said. “They wouldn’t let me turn it loose until the last 10 or 15 laps. I could pick up ground on Richard Petty any time I wanted. Roberts was the man to beat — he never makes mistakes.”
Baker was ready for a final duel with Fireball Roberts, but fate intervened. “Maybe I was lucky Fireball went out and I didn’t have to fight him,” he admitted. His own tire blew coming to the white flag. “I rode the fence till I got control and then hit the brakes. I was running so hard with Fireball that maybe that made the tire blow.”
He made six tire changes — four outside, two inside — and never raised the hood once. “No more tired than in ’53,” he said, though the heat was brutal. “At 3 p.m. the track was 145 degrees. My back hurt because the seat was fixed for Jack and I had to sit too far back.”
Baker laughed about the close calls. “When Richard Petty blew that tire three laps from the end, he could’ve taken me right out. A split second saved me. When that car hit the rail, it scattered water and oil — I didn’t know it. My car almost crossed up the first time I hit that spot.”
He paused, sipping a cold beer. “But maybe it’s a good thing it didn’t come off,” he said of the near photo finish. “Somebody might’ve got hurt — I’d have hit 140 for sure and gone too fast on the turns. It’s a good thing that didn’t happen. There was enough tragedy Monday at Darlington.”
It was Baker’s first major win since 1953, adding another chapter to the legend of a man who’s been running hard since the early days of stock‑car racing — and still knows how to take the turns fast.
Courtesy of The Charlotte Observer September 6, 1960 via Newspapers.com