Steve Baker racing his factory Yamaha Grand Prix bike in 1978. (AMA Media Kit Photo)
When most people think of the first American road racer to win a world championship, they immediately think of Kenny Roberts. That would be incorrect.
The first American road racer to win a world championship was none other than Bellingham, Washington’s Steve Baker, winning the short-live Formula 750 World Championship in 1977. Baker also raced in the premier series that season, the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship, and was runner up to Barry Sheene.
Baker proved that American riders could be competitive on the world stage. In 1978 Kenny Roberts cemented that fact and began what would be a 15-year stretch of near American dominance in the top echelon of Grand Prix Motorcycle racing.
The Formula 750 class as a world championship died after only three seasons and is now little more than a footnote in road racing history.
Rider Files 
From the AMA Hall of Fame on Gary Nixon. “In 1976, he laid claim to the World Prize Formula 750 Road Racing title, but was denied the championship after international politics cost him a victory, and ultimately the title, at the Venezuelan round of the series”. I know this dosen’t count officially, but I for one, wish it did.
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Yeah it’s a bummer that Gary didn’t win that because of politics. He’s still bitter about it. I would be too. The only consolation is that F750 is now just a footnote and I don’t think many people even realize there was such a series.
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