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Ron Baker Looking Forward To SDW
St. Catharines, ONT… Ron Baker has been a loyal supporter and great ambassador of the BRP CanAm Late Model Series since its inception in 2003. More important Ron Baker has been a loyal supporter and great ambassador of stock car racing since he started his race car driving career in 1957 at Hunt (NY) Raceway.
Baker’s #74 Rocket GTO will be the first car in line waiting for the Cayuga County Fair Speedway pit gates to open at 5:00PM on Saturday. This will be another day and another race for the 72 year old retired construction worker from Freedom, NY. However, not just any race. This will be the $2500 to win ISKY Cams Late Model Special at Super DIRT Week.
Baker has fond memories of Cayuga County Fair Speedway. He won the 100 lap New York State Late Model Championship there in 1974 (then Weedsport Speedway). That win stands out for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most memorable is the fact Baker beat Will Cagle for the Championship. During that era Cagle was the man to beat in New York State auto racing. Cagle was on top of his game in both modified and late model competition. Cagle was on top of his game, but he was no match for Ron Baker that day. Adding insult to Cagle’s pride was the fact that he was a weekly racer at Weedsport and Baker was an outsider making his only start of the year in Cagle’s playground. Wiley Will is probably still upset about losing that race! An interesting fact about the Baker / Cagle one / two finish is that Baker was driving the Maple City Dodge Mopar powered Dodge Charger and Cagle was driving the Bill Roese Ford powered Fairlane. Then, as now, 99% of the race cars were Chevrolet powered.
Prior to the start of the 2008 BRP CanAm Series Baker had missed just one event. However, this year health issues kept him out of racing until the June show at Canandaigua Speedway. He was down for a while, but he is back and raring to go. In fact, he is preparing to buy a new car for the 2009 BRP CanAm Series.
Baker says, “I have loved every minute of it (racing). I feel like a young man when I get behind the wheel of the race car. Racing is great therapy. I am looking for some financial help to speed up my racing program. I plan to be back for my 52nd year of racing in 2009 with a brand new car. I have sent a proposal to AARP, but have not heard from them, “jokes Baker. “My social security checks go straight to the race car fund, but it is tough to keeping up with the young guns. I receive both financial and moral support from my brother, Gary, my long time friends Eric Blum of Yorkshire Battery and Tire, Sisson’s Body Works, and the Nickersons. However, AARP has more money than any of those folks. Heck I could even use some of their money to buy a new set of safety belts. I would put the new ones in the race car and then mount the old ones on my La-Z- Boy recliner. I simply feel better buckled up. Then perhaps I could stay awake in my La-Z- Boy for Dancing With The Stars.”
Join Ron Baker and about 40 of his best friends for the ISKY Cams Late Model Special at SDW on the Cayuga County Fair Speedway Saturday at 7:30.
Current BRP CanAm Series Point standings – top 12: 1. Jeff Chesebro – 962, 2. Steve Dixon – 957, 3. Jeremy Wonderling – 777, 4. Glenn Whritenour – 771, 5. Matt Cobb – 694, 6. Beamer Guzzardi ® – 681, 7. Dan Cobb ® – 673, 8. Tim Schram – 671, 9. Mikey Wonderling – 664, 10, Bruce Miller – 661, 11. Mike Williams – 654, 12. Bob Buono – 639
ISKY Racing Cams of Gardena, CA become a BRP CanAm Series marketing partner last year when they offered $2500 to the winner of the BRP CanAm Series Championship race at Black Rock Speedway last year. For 2008 Richard Iskenderian has upped the ante. The ISKY Championship Chase will conclude with a $1500 to win event at Black Rock Speedway on October 25.
Bicknell Racing Products (BRP) CanAm Late Model Series information at www.BRPCanAmSeries.com
Marketing Partners for the 2008 BRP CanAm Late Model Series include: Bicknell Racing Products, Absolute Powder Coating, BC Designs, Brzezinski Racing Products, Can & Bottle Return of Delevan, Ed Carley Motorsports, Close Racing Supply, Cousins Designs, Damon’s Dyno’d Race Engines, DART Machinery, Doug’s Dirt Diary.com, East Coast Speed.com, F/A Products, Gavenda Race Engines, Genesis Shocks, GG&H Motorsports, Hoosier Tire, ISKY Racing Cams, Landrum Performance Springs, Lias Tire / American Racer, MAHLE Clevite Engine Parts, Bob Mullen’s Pro Speed, National Parts Peddler, Raceway Magazine.com, Signs Plus of Kanona, Suzuki Motorcycles & ATV Dealers, Wrisco Industries
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