Craig Baird

Craig Baird
Craig Baird
Replace this image male.svg
V8 Supercar Record
Nationality New Zealand New Zealander
Car # 61
Current team Walkinshaw Racing
Series Championships
Races 80
Round Wins 0
Podium finishes 1
Race Wins 1 (Phillip Island 2000)
Pole positions 1 (Winton 2004)
2010 Championship position 62nd (98 pts)

Craig George Baird MNZM (born 22 July 1970 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a race car driver. Baird is a very successful driver in his homeland, winning three consecutive New Zealand Formula Atlantic championship titles (1990–1992), and then four consecutive New Zealand Touring Car Championship titles (1993–1996).

Since then Baird has raced in Australian Super Touring Championship, as well as for the Ford team in the British Touring Car Championship (1998). He finished first at the 1997 Bathurst 1000, but the car was disqualified as Baird exceeded the allowed number of miles in the car for a single driver. 2007 saw Baird and his 1997 co-driver Paul Morris re-united in Gary Holt's BMW 335i in winning the revived Bathurst 12 Hour.

In 2004 he raced in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship and the Australian Carrera Cup Championship. In 2005 he raced in the V8 Supercar Championship for WPS Racing. WPS Racing merged with Orrcon Racing and he was replaced by Brazilian Max Wilson. Not all was lost with WPS Racing, when he and David Besnard were offered to drive at Sandown and Bathurst. Baird paired up with Jason Bargwanna.

With 32 wins in the different series he has competed in 2008, he is the winningest driver of the season in the world.[1]

He has over 20 New Zealand championship titles, two Australian championship titles, is a three-time winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix. In March 2010 he won both the NZV8s and Porsche GT3 Cup categories in the 2009/10 New Zealand Summer Series and will race in the Carrera Cup Asia during the 2010 season.

Craig Baird is part of the Channel Ten/One HD commentary team for Formula One coverage and Moto GP coverage in Australia along with host Greg Rust and former 500cc motorbike rider Daryl Beattie.

Personal life

Baird lives on Australia's Gold Coast with his wife Louise and their children. Baird was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours 2010, for services to motorsport.[2]

Career results

Season Series Position Car Team
1991 New Zealand Formula Pacific Series 1st Swift – Toyota
1992 New Zealand Formula Pacific Series 1st Reynard 92H
1992 British Formula 2 Championship 10th Reynard 90D Graham Lorrimer Motorsport
1993 New Zealand Formula Pacific Series 1st Reynard 92H
1995 New Zealand Touring Car Championship 1st
1996 New Zealand Touring Car Championship 1st
1997 New Zealand Touring Car Championship 1st
1997 Australian Super Touring Championship 8th BMW 320i Paul Morris Motorsport
1998 British Touring Car Championship 20th Ford Mondeo Ford Mondeo Racing [3]
2000 Shell Championship Series 15th Ford AU Falcon Stone Brothers Racing
2001 Shell Championship Series 76th Holden VT Commodore
Ford AU Falcon
John Faulkner Racing
Prancing Horse Racing
2002 V8Supercar Championship Series 27th Holden VX Commodore Rod Nash Racing
2003 V8Supercar Championship Series 30th Holden VX Commodore Team Kiwi Racing
2004 Australian Carrera Cup Championship 13th Porsche 996 GT3 Cup VIP Pet Foods [4]
2004 V8Supercar Championship Series 27th Holden VY Commodore Team Kiwi Racing
2005 V8Supercar Championship Series 23rd Ford BA Falcon WPS Racing
2005 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
2006 Australian Carrera Cup Championship 1st Porsche 997 GT3 Cup V.I.P. Petfoods Racing
2006 V8Supercar Championship Series 38th Ford BA Falcon WPS Racing
2006 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
2007 Australian Carrera Cup Championship 3rd Porsche 997 GT3 Cup V.I.P. Petfoods Racing
2007 V8Supercar Championship Series 31st Holden VE Commodore Toll HSV Dealer Team
2007 Australian GT Championship 28th Ferrari 360 GT Consolidated Chemical Company
2007 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
2008 V8Supercar Championship Series 52nd Holden VE Commodore Holden Racing Team
2008 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
2008 Australian Carrera Cup Championship 1st Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Fitzgerald Racing
2008 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series 31st Ford BA Falcon WPS Racing
2008 FIA GT Championship – (GT2) 48th Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Juniper Racing
2008–09 New Zealand V8s 3rd Ford BA Falcon United Video Racing
2008–09 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 997 GT3 Cup XXX Motorsport
2009 V8Supercar Championship Series 37th Holden VE Commodore Holden Racing Team
2009–10 New Zealand V8s 1st Ford BA Falcon United Video Racing
2009–10 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship 1st Porsche 997 GT3 Cup XXX Motorsport
2010 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series 35th Holden VE Commodore Walkinshaw Performance
Eggleston Motorsport
2010 V8Supercar Championship Series 62nd Holden VE Commodore Walkinshaw Racing

References

  1. ^ Driver Database, accessed December 7, 2008
  2. ^ "New Year Honours 2010". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2009. http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/list.asp?id=47. Retrieved 31 December 2009. 
  3. ^ www.btccpages.com Retrieved on 22 August 2009
  4. ^ www.natsoft.com.au Retrieved on 22 August 2009
  • Driver Data Dase [1]
  • Speedsport [2]
  • Racing Reference - USA Stats [3]
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Ken Smith
Winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix
1991, 1992 and 1993
Succeeded by
Greg Murphy