Gerald ‘Stretch’ Baker, 1957-2026

Gerald Baker stood out from the moment he arrived in motor racing.

His two most obvious traits were impossible to miss; at 6-foot-8, Baker – better known as “Stretch” for obvious reasons – was the tallest person in every paddock. The Jamaican was also among the only Black crew members in IMSA and IndyCar during the 1980s, ’90s and 2000s, which added to the unique place of inspiration he held for many who’ve followed him into the sport.

Although it wasn’t his first stop in motor racing, Stretch made his biggest and most enduring impact as a truck driver, tire technician, and refueler for Dan Gurney’s All American Racers IMSA GTP team. Hired just prior to the 1993 season, his hulking frame was visible during every pit stop with Juan Manuel Fangio II’s No. 99 Eagle MK III as they won seven of the 11 races and ran away with the GTP championship.

He’d continue with AAR as it returned to the CART IndyCar Series and later moved to the Player’s Forsythe team as Greg Moore and Patrick Carpentier rose to prominence. Stretch joined Champion Racing as part of its dominating Audi LMP1 program in the American Le Mans Series, worked with Risi Competizione's headlining Ferrari ALMS GT campaign, and plied his trade with other teams, even making a return to IMSA in recent years with the Inception Racing GTD effort.

As if being a towering man of color wasn’t enough of a differentiator, Stretch had another unmistakable trait that was impossible hide. Anecdotally, truckies from his era were renowned for their salty dispositions, and it’s here where Stretch defied expectations as his unabashed kindness and warmth made lasting impressions throughout the sport.

Sadly, Stretch died last week, and his sudden passing for undisclosed reasons has been hard to process for his legion of friends.

“He was our best AAR cheerleader,” said Kathy Weida, who ran AAR as Gurney’s No. 2 until her recent retirement. “He was our confidant and therapist. He was a gentle soul and never said a harsh word about anybody. The world will never be the same without him. Everyone loved him. I am heartbroken.”

Photo via Rich Zimmermann

Mark Raffauf, IMSA’s senior director of competition who started with the series more than 50 years ago, has one continual memory of Stretch from the moment he arrived in IMSA in the mid-1980s.

“Of all the people that I've worked with and dealt with at teams and otherwise, the man never stopped smiling,” Raffauf said. “Stretch was always smiling and was always genuinely happy to see you. A super humble man and just a great person to have in our paddock for years. You could be standing there in the pouring rain, freezing to death, and he'd be smiling. He was just that kind of person.”

AAR team manager Gary Donahoe hired Stretch as the Eagle Mk IIIs with Fangio and PJ Jones prepared to lay waste to the GTP class in what stands as the most dominant season in IMSA history.

“Dan Gurney’s high moral character, intense competitive nature, and terrific sense of humor was a great example for all of us at AAR,” Donahue said. “Stretch fit well within this mold. He was well respected within the team and by others at the track for his abilities, dedication, kind demeanor, and calmness during stressful situations. He was the type of person that everyone he encountered became his friend. It is my great pleasure to have been his boss, his teammate, and his friend. He will certainly be missed by many.”

Across the many teams where he forged a career, AAR served as Stretch’s home where he returned throughout the years for celebrations of Gurney and his storied cars and personnel.

His pride as an AAR alumni and service to the Gurney family never wavered. Along with the father and son duo of Rick and Jacques Dresang, Stretch was a central part of the AAR Eagle reunions held in Elkhart Lake at Road America in 2022 and again last summer where Justin Gurney, who runs the company today, was honored to include him in the festivities.

Photo via Rich Zimmermann

“He was totally into motorcycles so he certainly fit right in with Dad and others at AAR,” Gurney said. “He would show up to the famous Sunday rides at Dad’s house in his Suzuki GSXR 750. That wasn’t the most comfortable bike for anyone and for him it was even worse but he just loved it. He could ride!

“On a lighter note, in 1996 at Surfers Paradise we heard of a party near the track. It was called the ‘Indy Undy Ball.’ Everyone only wore underwear. Well, we were sponsored by Jockey and we were there for the IndyCar race so when in Australia…. We put a pair of Jockey’s over our jeans and went in. I can only imagine what people thought when I showed up with a 6-foot-8 guy with underwear over his pants. My personal bodyguard.

“The last time I spoke with him and hung out was at Elkhart this year and we spoke of old times riding and of course that party. He helped when we unveiled the F1 car and I know he always wore the AAR flag with pride. He was a really awesome and fun guy. This is just a huge blow to everyone.”