Bill Baird set a high benchmark in AMA National Enduro competition in the 1960s, earning a record seven national endure titles—all of them consecutive—that many thought would never be broken.
Born in 1929, Baird began competing in local endure events in his native Illinois in the 1950s, and he stepped into top-level endure events beginning with the Jack Pine Enduro in 1955. Riding a Triump TR6, he scored his first national win in Wisconsin during the 1961 season. When the AMA created the AMA Grand National Enduro Championship in 1962, Baird became the series’ inaugural champion. Gaining notoriety for his consistent performances, he went on to win the title six more years in a row while recording 14 national wins.
Baird enjoyed a standout season during his successful title defense, winning four nationals, including the Jack Pine. He then retired from active competition in 1969 before calling it quits at the end of that year.
Baird was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1999.
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