With a record-equalling five Australian Touring Car Championships (tied with Ian Geoghegan and Dick Johnson), five Bathurst victories and numerous touring car wins to his credit, Mark Skaife OAM is understandably ranked as one of the most successful touring car drivers in Australian motor racing history. Having begun his racing career in karts, Skaife experienced immediate success when he moved to cars in 1984 and later showed his versatility by winning three consecutive Australian Drivers’ Championships in the Formula Holden open-wheelers. As a works Nissan driver in 1992 he clinched the Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Drivers’ Championship and Bathurst 1000 in the same season before moving to Holden with Gibson Motorsport at the beginning of the V8 Supercar era. Skaife’s decision to move to the Holden Racing Team in 1997 upon the retirement of Peter Brock proved beneficial as Skaife and the HRT went on a rampage, winning the championship in 2000, 2001 and 2002 in addition to success at Bathurst in 2001 and 2002. Lean seasons followed in 2003 and 2004 as Skaife assumed ownership of HRT and the team came to grips with the Project Blueprint parity mandate, yielding numerous pole positions but only two round victories. 2005 saw a return to form as Skaife mounted a championship challenge which was alive until the final round of the championship, along the way partnering with teammate Todd Kelly for his fifth Bathurst 1000 victory and collecting two pole positions and two other race wins. In 2006 he stepped away from team ownership to put his focus squarely back on the type of racing which has him tied with the late Peter Brock’s for the all-time record of 37 championship round wins. Victory at Pukekohe in New Zealand drew Skaife level for the record, however some terrible luck and other dramas confined him to a rare season where he finished outside the top 10 in the championship. In 2007 Skaife went on to break the Peter Brock record , but also suffered a couple of cruel twists in the latter half of the year, including being forced out of the Sandown 500 with appendicitis at the last moment. In 2008 he is joined by reigning V8 Supercar Champion Garth Tander at the Holden Racing Team. 
DOB: April 3, 1967
Career Highlights
ATCC/V8 Supercar Championship Series Stats
Championship Results
Bathurst 1000 stats |
 
 
 
 
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