Baird, Carson
Name/Title
Baird, CarsonEntry/Object ID
2025.1.95Description
Carson Meadow Baird — born March 10, 1938, in Johnston, Rhode Island — was a versatile American sports‑car driver whose career stretched from the early 1960s into the mid‑1980s. He began racing in 1963 with an MG Midget in local SCCA Sports Car Championship events, scoring his first overall victory in 1966 at Riverside, again in an MG Midget. Baird soon moved into endurance racing, making his Sebring debut in 1967 in an Austin‑Healey Sprite and finishing 18th overall with co‑drivers Roger Enever and Alec Poole . Over the next two decades, he became a reliable presence in major American and international endurance events, including eight starts at Sebring (1967–1984) and multiple appearances at Daytona. His greatest successes came in the mid‑1970s: 3rd overall at the 1975 Daytona 24 Hours and an outstanding 2nd overall at the 1976 Sebring 12 Hours driving a Porsche Carrera RSR with John Gunn. He also made a single start at Le Mans in 1982, finishing 6th overall in a Ferrari 512BB LM . Baird’s career also included stints in open‑wheel racing, notably Formula A/Formula 5000 in 1968 with a Brabham BT18, though his greatest achievements remained in sports‑car endurance racing. He faced setbacks typical of privateer drivers: mechanical failures, limited budgets, and occasional DNFs at major events — including engine failures and accidents at Sebring and Daytona in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still, his longevity, adaptability, and podium finishes at two of America’s premier endurance races earned him a respected place among the era’s independent sports‑car racers.Collection
Dr. Frederick A. Simeone Founder CollectionCategory
Race Car Drivers