Craig Baird

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Craig Baird is a race car driver born in Hamilton, New Zealand on 22 July 1970. Baird is a very successul 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. 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 winning a race on début at Philip Island but his form dropped off and he was dropped at the end of the season when WPS Racing merged with Orrcon Racing and 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. Baird currently races in the Australian Carrera Cup Championship where he was the 2006 series champion and co-owns the V.I.P. Petfoods team.

[edit] Personal life

Baird lives on Australia's Gold Coast with his wife Louise and their children.

[edit] 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
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
2000	V8Supercar Championship Series	15th	Ford AU Falcon	Stone Brothers Racing
2001	V8Supercar 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
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 911 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 911 GT3 Cup
2008	New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship	1st	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup