Malibu race car driver Doug Baron killed in Camarillo car accident

Doug Baron, a Malibu resident, Porsche racer and fixture of the Los Angeles classic car community was killed March 25 in a car accident in Camarillo. He was 66.

Baron was driving a Porsche Coupe along Las Posas Road around 1 p.m. when a driver in a Ford Expedition crossed into his lane and collided with Baron’s vehicle head-on, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Baron died on site from blunt force injuries, and the second driver died at a hospital from head trauma, according to the Ventura County medical examiner. It is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, according to the CHP.

Baron was known for his skillful driving on the racetrack and his love of cruising steep canyon roads. His sudden death has devastated his family and fellow car enthusiasts.

“He was a very respectful driver on the streets and took all of his aggressive driving to the racetrack,” said longtime friend Gregg Garfield. The fact that his death occurred on a flat road in a rural area “is just heartbreaking.”

Doug Baron stands along Mulholland Highway in December.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Baron was an experienced Porsche racer. He competed in the American Le Mans Series GTC class, drove in 24-hour races at Daytona and won multiple Porsche Owners Club endurance races.

But as much as he enjoyed pushing the envelope on the track, one of his greatest passions was taking his retrofitted classic cars on leisurely drives in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“It is so gratifying, so tactile, it clears my head and reinvigorates my soul,” he told The Times in December, when describing the feeling of driving along the recently reopened section of Mulholland Highway known as the Snake.

When the reopening sparked backlash from nearby residents over loud and dangerous driving, Baron used his platform in the car community to urge enthusiasts to drive safely and listen to residents’ concerns.

“Let’s be respectful of the people who reside in those communities — don’t rev your engines, don’t do burnouts, try to show an element of decorum with this hobby,” he told The Times.

Fellow car enthusiast Evan Sawyer said Baron admired the beauty of the canyon roads and found peace in driving calmly along them.

“Anyone who really got to know him thought he was a pretty magical guy, very humble, very strong, very assertive, but also very kind,” said Sawyer.

Sawyer noted that Baron was always impressing upon canyon drivers the importance of remaining on the correct side of the road — making it even more tragic that he was killed by a driver crossing into the wrong lane.

One of Baron’s oldest friends, Loren Beggs, recalled meeting him at the Portland International Raceway in the 1990s.

Beggs, who owned a Porsche repair company, immediately hit if off with Baron, and the pair went on to compete together in the American Le Mans Series in 2010. Baron, who was obsessed with retrofitting Porsche street and racing cars, was a frequent customer at Beggs’ repair shop over the years.

“He definitely had the car crack addiction with Porsche stuff,” Beggs said, chuckling as he reminisced.

Professional American racer Patrick Long, one of 18 Porsche factory racing drivers worldwide, described Baron as “the exact type of ambassador the Porsche community needs.”

“The brand can sometimes be a little exclusive feeling, but when you meet people like Doug, you realize that it’s a family,” he said. “It’s a very welcoming environment and community.”

Baron’s close friend, Garfield, described him as “larger than life” with the “biggest heart of gold ever imagined” and said he was deeply devoted to his family.

Garfield said he owed Baron a debt of gratitude for forcing him to go to the hospital after Garfield fell ill returning from a ski trip in Italy in February 2020. Garfield went on to spend 31 days on a ventilator and 64 days in the hospital fighting to recover from COVID-19 at Providence St. John’s hospital where he was known as “Patient Zero.”

He credits Baron’s tough love with saving his life.

“My biggest regret is I wasn’t able to be there to save his,” said Garfield. “It’s just a really tragic situation.”

Baron had a reputation for living life to the max, and when he wasn’t enjoying his cars, he could often be found skiing in Mammoth, flying his Cessna or enjoying the Malibu beaches, said Beggs.

He is survived by his wife, Laura Baron, his daughters Meg Baron, Sara Baron, Izabella Jimenez and Erica Peixoto and his son, João Serra.

Car enthusiasts plan to gather to honor Baron at Supercar Sunday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills from 7 to 10 a.m. Sunday.