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Biography

MARK SKAIFE OAM | August, 2009

Mark Skaife ended his 22 year full time career in Australian Touring Cars/V8 Supercars in 2008. The record book had confirmed him as being the most credentialed driver in the history of the sport.

Returning for enduro drives in 2009/10, Skaife stunned the motorsport world this year by taking his first dual enduro victory at Phillip Island and Bathurst, together with 888 team regular Craig Lowndes.

Skaife's stellar career has included a record equalling five Australian Touring Car Championships plus six Bathurst 1000 victories, most race wins [89], most round wins [41], and second most event starts [218].

Encouraged by his father Russell, an experienced Touring Car competitor, young Skaife graduated from Karts to Torana Sports Sedans in 1984/5, Ford Laser series in 1986 and to a class contesting Nissan Gazelle Touring Car fielded by Gibson Motorsport in 1987, subsequently winning the Australian Two Litre Championship.

Mark then spent three years at GMS learning his craft with a front running Nissan Skyline in league with teammates Glenn Seton, George Fury and Jim Richards, celebrating with his first Bathurst podium in 1989. This led to his first full season piloting the famed Nissan GTR "Godzilla" alongside Richards in 1991.
That year saw his first round win in Western Australia, followed by a trio of victories later in the season as "Godzilla" decimated the opposition.

Nissan ruled supreme in 1991/2 with Skaife at the top of his form collecting his first two Bathurst trophies and championships in both Touring Car and Open Wheeler categories. 1992 being the first and only time a driver had won Bathurst and both championships in the same year. (ATCC and Australian Drivers Championship)

The V8 Supercar era commenced in 1993, with Gibson Motorsport and Mark moving over to Holden, where Skaife secured his second championship title in 1994. 

After the loss of major sponsorship at GMS due to government legislation against tobacco advertising, a new phase of Skaife's career began as he joined Holden Racing Team in 1997 as enduro driver with Peter Brock, prior to Brock's retirement and prior to replacing him full time in 1998.

This was a halcyon period of success with championship titles forthcoming in 2000/01/02 and Bathurst wins in 2001/02/05. His best individual year was 2002 when he won a record equalling seven successive rounds including five in a row. His seventh victory -- at Bathurst -- sealed the title with three rounds remaining. The win, with close friend Jim Richards, was a Holden repeat of their Nissan victory a decade earlier.

In all, Skaife scored 27 round wins as a driver and team owner/driver for HRT between 1998 and 2008. Victory at Pukekohe [NZ] in 2006 saw him draw level with Peter Brock in all time round wins [37] and a win at Eastern Creek the following year gave him the record.

Upon his 2008 retirement Mark has joined the V8 Supercar TV commentary team on the Seven Network and still maintained close commercial links with previous V8 team and personal sponsors, returning for endurance events in 2009 with Tasman Motorsport, co-driving with Greg Murphy.

 Skaife and Murphy finished 11^th at Phillip Island and a credible 4^th at Bathurst after a safety car cost them a realistic chance at victory. Such a strong performance always meant Skaife would be a highly desirable co driver in 2010, and he joined the 888 Holden team to partner former teammate Craig Lowndes for the enduro season. This was met with immediate success when the duo claimed a popular victory at Phillip Island only to excell at Bathurst with another victory one month later.

Articulate and personable, Mark has long been one of the sport's major ambassadors through media and corporate appearances, while always maintaining time to mix and chat with his loyal fanbase. As a result of this and his considerable track achievements he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004.

Skaife has recently been appointed an independent director of V8 Supercars and also board member of the Australian Motor Sport Foundation, monitoring the rising star program to fund hopeful driver up and comers overseas. He is also specifically chairing the "V8 Supercar of the Future" project, in order to develop the next generation of race cars.

With V8s, Skaife is currently consulting on track design and safety, primarily with Townsville and the Homebush based Sydney Telstra 500 layouts.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1987-2010