Erwin George Baker

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Erwin George "Cannon Ball" Baker (1882-May 10, 1960) was an automobile racing driver and organizer in the first half of the 20th century. Baker is famous for his record-setting point-to-point drives, in which he was paid to promote the products of various automobile manufacturers. Baker also raced at the 1922 Indianapolis 500, placing 11th in a Frontenac. He later became the first commissioner of NASCAR.

[edit] Records

Baker set 143 driving records from the 1910s through the 1930s. His first was set in 1914, riding coast to coast on an Indian motorcycle in 11 days. He normally rode to sponsor manufacturers, guaranteeing them "no record, no money".

In 1915, Baker drove from Los Angeles to New York City in 11 days and 7 hours in a Stutz Bearcat. In 1928, he beat the 20th Century Limited train from New York to Chicago.

His best-remembered drive was a 1933 New York City to Los Angeles trek in a Graham-Page model 57 Blue Streak 8, setting a 53.5 hour record that stood for nearly 40 years. This drive inspired the later Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, better known as the "Cannonball Run", which itself inspired at least five movies and a television series. In 1941, he drove a new Crosley across the nation in a troublefree 6,517-mile run to prove the economy and reliability characteristics of Crosley automobiles.