From The John Davis “Too Much Fun” Collection - Driven by Buddy Baker to Victory in the 1980 Daytona 500 From the Pole Position

Estimate: $150,000 - $160,000

ENGINE 355/650 HP V-8

TRANSMISSION Manual

EXTERIOR COLOR Gray/Black

INTERIOR COLOR Black

MAKE  Oldsmobile

MODEL  Cutlass

HIGHLIGHTS
Driven by Buddy Baker to victory in the 1980 Daytona 500 from the pole position
Buddy Baker set a record Daytona 500 average pace of 177.602 MPH, a mark that still stands to this day
The 1980 Daytona 500 featured 41 lead changes, with Buddy Baker led seven times for a total of 143 of the 200 laps, earning $102,175 in prize money for his win

This Oldsmobile was known as the "Gray Ghost" and was painted to match the Daytona asphalt
Built by Waddell Wilson of Ranier Racing for NASCAR Cup competition
In 2020 Buddy Baker and Waddell Wilson were both inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame
The "Gray Ghost" was put on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for 2 years
In late 1980, the car was sold to OL Nixon and driven during the 1981 NASCAR Cup season by Jim Vandiver

In 2006 John Davis purchased the car from Bill Rhine of Rhine Enterprise and commissioned them to undertake a comprehensive restoration of the chassis and body
John Davis had the engine restored in San Jose, California

The "Gray Ghost" was campaigned by John Davis for several years in the Historic Stock Car Racing Series, an organization founded by Davis

In 2023 Bill Rhine Restorations undertook a comprehensive engine refresh

This 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass, built by the legendary Waddell Wilson and driven by veteran Buddy Baker, took the pole position for the 1980 Daytona 500. The race had a total of 41 lead changes, with Baker leading seven different times for 143 laps, including when it mattered most. Baker took the win in the Oldsmobile, known as the “Gray Ghost” because it was painted to match the Daytona asphalt. Baker received $102,175 in prize money, and his race speed average, set at 177.602 MPH, still stands to this day.

In 2020, Baker and Wilson were both inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the Gray Ghost was placed on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for two years. Jim Vandiver drove this car for OL Nixon in 1981, and John Davis later purchased the car in 2006 from Bill Rhine of Rhine Enterprise and commissioned the company to undertake a comprehensive restoration of the chassis and body. Davis also had the engine restored, and then campaigned the Gray Ghost in the Historic Stock Car Racing Series, an organization he helped found. In 2023, Bill Rhine Restorations undertook a comprehensive engine refreshing to the car’s 355/650 HP small-block GM V-8.

This car presents in period from the Baker era, including proper sponsorship graphics, Wilson’s fabrication work, a spartan interior with a Long shifter, and correct-to-spec stock car components that allowed it to be driven in those nostalgia-style events. Wilson’s efforts would win Daytona again in 1983-84, but his time with NASCAR’s late “Gentle Giant” Baker remained a highlight of his racing achievements with owner Harry Rainer. This era of NASCAR legends created many milestones—that the Gray Ghost still remains the 177 MPH record winner at Daytona puts it in a very exclusive category today.