Steve Baker (motorcyclist)
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| Motorcycle Grand Prix Career | |
| Nationality |  United States |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1977 - 1978 |
| Team(s) | Yamaha |
| Grands Prix | 15 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podium finishes | 7 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First Grand Prix | 1977 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix |
| First win | 0 |
| Last win | 0 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1978 500cc West German Grand Prix |
Steve Baker (born September 5, 1952 in Bellingham, Washington) is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle roadracer. He was the first American to win a road racing world championship when he won the 1977 Formula 750 title. He was also one of the first Americans to compete in the Grand Prix series.
Baker began his career racing on the dirt track ovals of the Pacific Northwest. He then switched to road racing and began competing in Canada, becoming a three-time Canadian champion. His good results earned him a factory sponsored ride with the Yamaha factory team for the 1977 season. He began the year by winning the prestigious Daytona 200 before travelling to Europe to compete in the world championships. He won the Formula 750 title and finished second to Barry Sheene in the 500cc world championship. He was released by the Yamaha team after the season and competed in the 1978 championship on a privately supported Suzuki. 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 competetive racing.
After his racing career, he purchased a motorcycle dealership in his hometown of Bellingham. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
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