Mark Skaife
| Mark Skaife | |
|---|---|
Skaife at the Australian GP in 2006
|
|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born |
3 April 1967 Gosford, New South Wales, Australia |
| Supercars Record | |
| Series championships | 5 |
| Races | 220 |
| Race wins | 90 |
| Podium finishes | 87 |
| Pole positions | 41 |
| 2011 Championship position | 29th (532 pts) |
Mark Stephen Skaife OAM (born 3 April 1967 in Gosford, New South Wales) is an Australian motor racing driver. Skaife is a five-time champion of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor, the Australian Touring Car Championship. He is also a six-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. On 29 October 2008, he announced his retirement from full-time touring car racing. Since retiring from driving, Skaife has worked as a commentator and presenter for the series for both the Seven Network and Fox Sports Australia.
Skaife was born in Gosford, New South Wales, the son of touring car racer, Russell Skaife. Skaife is married to wife Toni with three children: Mitch, Mia and Tilly. He attended Wyong High School and is a known supporter of National Rugby League club the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
In 2004, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, for services to motor racing and charity. In 2006, Skaife set a Guinness World Record with the fastest speed of 277.16 km/h (172.21 mp/h) for a production ute, driving a HSV Maloo at the Woomera Prohibited Area.
Skaife began racing karts in the 1980s in his native New South Wales, before moving to Melbourne to complete his apprenticeship under Fred Gibson. His first car race was at Amaroo Park in 1984, at the wheel of a Holden Torana XU-1 sports sedan, which was partly built by his father, Russell. In 1985 Skaife joined the NSW Ford Laser Series, finishing second in the series. Skaife again finished runner up in the 1986 NSW Laser Series and winning the Victorian Series of the same year. Skaife was due to compete in his maiden race at Bathurst in 1986, however his co-driver and team owner, Peter Williamson, crashed the team's Toyota Celica Supra MA61 at close to 260 km/h (162 mph) during practice with Williamson suffering a broken jaw in the crash due to the cars onboard fire extinguisher breaking free of its mountings and hitting the veteran Sydney driver in the mouth (Williamson wore an open face helmet). Subsequently, with Williamson confined to a hospital bed in Bathurst and the Supra in need of major repair, the entry was withdrawn.
...
Wikipedia