NASCAR legend Buddy Baker has been named Grand Marshal for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, set to run on Sunday, March 28, 2010. Baker, winner of the 1979 Old Dominion 500 at the 1/2 mile flat track in Virginia, is looking forward to returning to the site of one of his most memorable NASCAR victories.

“I’m so honored by this. When you think of NASCAR, you think of Martinsville,” said Baker. "This is like when I got my invitation to go into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame … it knocked my socks off.”

Baker, well known as a hard charging driver who stood on the gas, set a closed coursed speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway in 1970 when he became the first person to record laps at over 200 mph. Other highlights of the legendary drivers career include four Talladega victories and taking the checkers in the 1980 Daytona 500.

Although Baker has won on the biggest tracks NASCAR has to offer, his win at the unique Martinsville Speedway remains a great career achievement.

“As good as Bobby Allison was, he never won at Martinsville. He told me one time that the Martinsville win was something I should be proud of and I told him not to worry…I was plenty proud of it,” recalled Baker. “It’s kind of like when I won at Darlington. It’s not all about the car at either one of those places. It’s about 50 percent car and 50 percent driver.”

Looking back on that memorable Martinsville weekend in 1979, Baker says he received some advice from an old friend that helped him to victory lane.

“Before the race ever started, I sat down with Junior Johnson. I said ‘what am I doing wrong. I’m not getting around this race track and I’ve got all the horsepower in the world’,” Baker remembered. “He said ‘you’re running too hard. He said back off earlier and don’t get into it so soon.’ I went back out and did what he said and I was the quickest out there.”

After putting Richard Petty a lap down early in the race, Baker and Petty battled for much of the race as Petty attempted to gain his lap back.

“I got Richard a lap down and we must have raced 210 laps side-by-side. The caution would come out and I’d beat him back to the start-finish line,” said Baker. “Every time I went down the backstretch, all of his fans let me know I was number one.”

Race sponsor Goody's also has more in store for hardcore race fans attending the Goody's 500.

“We are thrilled to have Buddy Baker join our “Old School” fan celebration.  We are proud to have been a part of the roots of NASCAR with our Goody’s Headaches Powders,” said Steve Kapur, brand manager for Goody’s. “Fans attending the Goody’s 500 at Martinsville will be treated to an immersion in “Old School” racing. They will have the opportunity to hear Buddy and other greats of our sport at a Goody’s Fan Forum on Saturday evening and even meet several of the greats at the Goody’s Fast Relief Zone on Sunday morning.”

Hardcore race fans in need of ticket information can call 1.877.RACE.TIX or visit www.racetickets.com.

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