- Craig Baird
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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 FalconJohn Faulkner Racing
Prancing Horse Racing2002 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 Motorsport2010 V8Supercar Championship Series 62nd Holden VE Commodore Walkinshaw Racing References
- ^ Driver Database, accessed December 7, 2008
- ^ "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.
- ^ www.btccpages.com Retrieved on 22 August 2009
- ^ www.natsoft.com.au Retrieved on 22 August 2009
Sporting positions Preceded by
Ken SmithWinner of the New Zealand Grand Prix
1991, 1992 and 1993Succeeded by
Greg MurphyThis biographical article related to auto racing is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.