‘Bairdo’s bunker’ insight for Eseries

Supercars' Driving Standards Advisor Craig Baird will provide a behind-the-scenes look at his role during the upcoming BP All Stars Eseries.

SNEAK PEEK: GET READY FOR THE BP SUPERCARS ALL STARS ESERIES

A veteran racer whose own driving career included five Carrera Cup titles, a Bathurst 12 Hour victory and a Supercars race win, Baird took on the DSA role ahead of the 2017 season.

Nathan Prendergast, Supercars General Manager Television and Content, confirmed Baird has now been appointed as Driving Standards Observer for the Eseries.

Simulator racing pro Madison Down, who contested the 2019 Eseries, will assist Baird for at least the opening round.

“We’ve utilised a little bit from the existing Supercars world and the gaming world, so we’ve also asked, at least for the first event, for Madison Down to come along and be an extra set of eyes from the gaming perspective,” Prendergast told Supercars.com.

“But from a Supercars sporting DSO perspective, yes Craig Baird has thankfully agreed to assist with this.

“Craig is obviously aware that he’s going to be utilising the proper rulebook for this but within reason he has to vary this to be sensible and allow a little bit of flexibility with the game.

“But on the other hand, if we get anyone just punting people off, we have the ability to black flag them, which ejects them immediately from the race.”

Prendergast noted Baird will have an increased role in the broadcast, to give fans an insight into the judicial process – valuable for when real-life racing returns.

“Craig is going to be set up out of the Gold Coast [Supercars] office,” said Prendergast.

“We’re building a bit of a Bairdo’s bunker where he’ll be able to review the racing and provide adjudication almost immediately.

“And we plan to utilise him in the broadcast to cross to him in a video link-up capacity almost immediately once an incident has happened, to talk to him and for him to be able to provide feedback and then come back to us with the ruling later.”

The opening round of the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries will take place on the night of April 8, with races at Phillip Island and Monza.