The following photos were taken on July 18, 1991 at the Laguna Seca Raceway near Salinas, California. Kim Baker, owner of Baker Racing, and Jim Minneker, Chief of Powertrain Engineering for Corvette, were competing in the IMSA Supercar Series. I spent three days with the Bakeracing crew and had a good time. All photos are copyright ©Ray Smith 1991, 2004. Photos are protected by DigiMarc ® Digital Watermarks and will be detected on your web site if copied illegally. See http://www.digimarc.com for details on how the Digimarc MarcSpider ® image tracking technology works. You have been warned.

Don't back up too far! I could just see the headlines...

It's a long way down The transporter carried three cars

Driving a ZR-1 Could that grin get any bigger?

Teddy Bear with ballast bar Kim Baker's response to the IMSA decree that ZR-1s carry 500lbs of ballast

I joined the pit crew and helped change tires (that's me in the red Corvette cap)

We worked right up until the last minute Kim Baker and Jim Minneker climb aboard their ZR-1s as we finish with tires

Brake Cooling Ducts carrying 500lbs of ballast to "make race competitive" got the brakes very hot

Kim Baker Corvette in paddock Teddy Bear with ballast bar on roof

Kim Baker Corvette in paddock Getting new Bridgestone tires

Jim Minniker's Corvette in paddock Bakeracing transporter in background

Jim Minniker's Corvette in paddock Side view

Kim climbs into his Corvette Supercar Cool as ice

Bakeracing ZR-1s on pre-grid Getting ready for recon lap

Jim Minniker's Corvette on Grid Happiness is a red Vette on the grid at Laguna Seca

Jim Minniker's Corvette on Grid (closeup)

Kim Baker Corvette on grid Baker qualified in fourth position

Pace Lap proceeds through turn 10 Kim is outside of row 2

Pace Lap proceeds through turn 11 Baker gets a run coming out of turn 11

Kim Passes Start line in fourth Accelerating past the Consulier

Kim Baker Takes Lead Storming from fourth on the grid to first on the outside

Tighter shot of Kim Taking Lead Blowing by the Consuliers

Closeup of Kim Taking Lead He stayed on the outside and took the lead in turn two