Steve Baker (motorcyclist)

Steve Baker (born September 5, 1952) is an American former professional motorcycle racer. 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.

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

Motorcycle racing career
Born in Bellingham, Washington, Baker began his career racing on the dirt track ovals of the Pacific Northwest. 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. He then switched to road racing and began competing in Canada, becoming a three-time Canadian champion. His experience racing on the rough, bump-strewn Canadian race tracks would help him later in his career when racing on European tracks.

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. 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.

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. Baker dominated the series as the top individual points leader winning four of the six races.

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. He also won the 250cc support class at the Loudon Classic. He repeated his Loudon victories at the Laguna Seca Raceway, again winning the national and the 250c support race. He then returned to Europe where he won the Mallory Park Race of the Year. By the end of the 1976 season, Baker was considered to be Kenny Roberts' equal in road racing.

Baker's good results earned him a factory sponsored ride with the Yamaha factory team for the 1977 season. The 1977 season marked the debut of the Formula 750 World Championship beginning with the Daytona 200. Baker traded the lead with Kenny Roberts several times before he prevailed to win at Daytona. 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.

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. 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. Baker struggled with the Suzuki and finished the season ranked 7th in the 500cc World Championship. 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.

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

Motorcycle Grand Prix results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)