Cannon Ball

Erwin George "Cannon Ball" Baker was the only competitor to take part in both the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 1909 and an Indianapolis 500. In Baker's case it was the 1922 Indianapolis 500 where he finished 11th after a steady, determined run.
 

Steady and determined as well as rugged and brave were core Baker qualities that earned him his nickname years after the motorcycle race where he competed as an amateur. Baker may not have been the fastest among racers - although make no mistake, he was no slowpoke - he could endure.
 
His nickname came after he began his cross-country runs on both on bikes and four-wheelers. This was an age when motorized vehicles were still proving their reliability and dozens of manufacturers were elbowing each other out of the way to get to the consumers' collective wallet. What's more it was a gut-wrenching era of reconciling the demands of technological transition for change - most specifically on the nation's roadway infrastructure.
 
Baker's daring, his sense of adventure and his inherent tough-guy charisma were a perfect fit for the age. He rose from the obscurity of his struggling midwestern beginnings to break through the clutter and claim a piece of notoriety in the context of history.
 
The image here is a promotional shot of 27-year-old Baker as an emerging amateur motorcycle racer. An Indianapolis daredevil, he was a Hoosier favorite son. Come meet him, there is lots of information profiling this great character of motor racing on First Super Speedway.