Countdown to Daytona: 38

January 17, 2013, Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service,


There are 38 days left before the Feb. 24, 2013 Daytona 500; hence, today’s number is: 38.

The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup pole positions won by Buddy Baker, one of the hardest chargers in the history of the sport. Baker excelled in important races on big tracks. He won 19 Cup events during a career that spanned 33 years, including four victories each at Charlotte and Talladega and two at Darlington. Baker’s crowning achievement, however, came in the 1980 Daytona 500, where he led 143 of 200 laps in adding the Harley J. Earl trophy to his collection.