Baird & Trivette Racing

By Stacy Scharch

Gary Baird and E.J. Trivette were NASCAR oriented chassis builders. In 1982, they formed, Baird & Trivette Racing, a company whose race shop was located in Atlanta, GA.  

E.J. Trivette (born in 1936 - Deep Gap, North Carolina, USA) is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. In his thirteen-year career, Trivette has raced 177 races and accomplished twenty-nine finishes in the top ten. He has also managed to race 31,181 laps - the equivalent to 23,731.6 miles. Trivette's average finish for his career was in 19th place while his average start for his career is 23rd place. His son Barry Trivette would eventually become the vice president and chassis designer for Baird & Trivette Racing. Gary Baird was Trivette's sponsor for most of his career. Chevrolet and Ford would be the primary manufacturers that would provide vehicles for this driver during his career.

On another note, Baird & Trivette also built the General Lee cars for the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard.  There were about a dozen General Lee's, all identically prepared by Baird & Trivette.  It is said; the stunt drivers punished the TV cars more in one episode than a NASCAR team would in an entire season. The race shop had a surface plate (for squaring up chassis) reserved and set to General Lee specifications, for the 1968 and 1969 model-year Chargers that were sourced and converted. Three or four Chargers would arrive on a hauler. They would get stripped down, straighten, repainted and put back on the trailer, knowing full well the cars would soon return to repeat the process.  

Trivette now resides in the Ft. Myers, Florida area where his race car chassis manufacturing plant is located. The business produces mainly for Late Model drivers and for GT (grand touring) drivers.