new
1987 Corvette in
appreciation for using their tires. The also paid him $10,000 for each victory,
and gave him another $5,000 for each upcoming race in 1987. In all, Goodyear
gave Baker $140,000, not
including the cost of the 1987 Corvette. Red Line Oil and Bilstein shock absorbers
also gained great publicity from Baker’s success, and featured his cars
in their advertising.
Baker sold the 1986 cars, and took the Goodyear car
and created a new #4 for the 1987 season. A new #5 was also built. Drivers were
again Tommy and Bobby
Archer in the #4,
and
Shawn Hendricks and
Mitch Wright in the #5, with Baker himself taking the wheel in some of the 24-hour
events.
The Bakeracing team reinforced their 1986 results with
a thoroughly dominating performance in 1987: 6 wins in the 7 race series. In
all, Corvettes dominated the SSGT class those years, winning all 13 events (and
all 19 going back to the Playboy Cup). Baker would have returned in 1988, but
the Corvette was no longer welcome in Showroom Stock. The other manufacturers
requested the exclusion of what was obviously the best car in
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