Baker Among The Elite After Winning Rookie Of The Year Award

DELAWARE, Ohio November 25, 2008: Less than 48 hours before the start of the 2008 JEGS ProMod Challenge, a spot opened in the 24-car field of the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., when Mike Knowles crashed during a preseason test session. Logistically speaking, there weren't many drivers who could fill Knowles' slot in such a short amount of time. Then someone mentioned Floridian Joe Baker, who lives five hours away in Milton, near Pensacola.

A call went out and Baker accepted the invitation, saying he'd do his best to get there, although he wasn't promising being anything more than filler in his NHRA debut. Little did Baker know when he ended that phone call that seven and a half months later he'd end up as the JEGS ProMod Challenge Rookie of the Year with a pair of victories to his credit, including an unlikely win in that fateful debut race.

"I had the luck when I needed it, that's for sure," Baker said after his shocking Gators win. "We had to scramble just to get here but it all seems worth it now."

Driving a '41 Willys once owned by two-time series champ Mike Ashley, Baker barely made the Gainesville field in the 16th and final spot, which set up a first-round date with Ashley himself. But after Ashley lost traction and handed the opening round victory to Baker, things started falling into place. Scott Ray red lighted, Kirk Kuhns got way out of shape and had to shut off, and Ray Commisso hit the wall, putting a surprised Baker on the winner's podium and into the points lead.

Baker's streak of fortunate happenstance carried into the next event in Houston when fellow competitor Roger Burgess was called away for business commitments and decided to let Baker drive his super-quick ProCare Rx Corvette. This time, Baker dominated the field en route to his second straight win that put him 80 points ahead of the chase pack.

It was clear at that early point in the year that Baker was no ordinary rookie, and by the end of the season he was the obvious frontrunner among the four Rookie of the Year nominees.

"Going into this season I never expected to be where I am at today," Baker said after accepting the Rookie of the Year award at the Crowning of the King party in Las Vegas. "I thought I would go into my rookie season and just get my feet wet. Not to say I didn't think me and my team would do well but going in as a rookie you don't set expectations as high as you would otherwise."

In the end, Baker finished a respectable seventh in the championship standings, which has him excited about next year's possibilities.

"I'm anxious to see what we can do with a year of experience under our belts," Baker said. "Things went way better than we expected this year so it'll be interesting to see how it goes in 2009. I never imagined I would have finished ahead of such big names like Tim Tindle, Ray Commisso, and Taylor Lastor so who knows what we can do next year.

"Being Rookie of the Year is really cool. It's helped us a lot because there's interest in our team. As it stands now I have a group that is looking forward to providing me with a first-class team and the support I need to win races and contend for the championship. That's all you can ask for."