Autobiography of the most successful driver in Australian motorsport history
He is the most successful driver in Australian motorsport history. One
of the icons of the sport, ultimately a Holden hero after starting his
career with Nissan: but there is much more to Mark Skaife than just
that.
Move past the numbers – more touring car round wins than any other
driver, equal to the best in touring car titles, five Bathurst wins,
three Australian Drivers’ Championships and numerous other accolades –
and you’ll find a driver with a deeply entrenched popularity in the
sport.
This is Mark’s story in his own words, from before the time the
motorsport bug first bit to the final days of his time with HRT and the
desire to keep racing at Bathurst. He talks about the level of
commitment he put in to become the very best while some of those around
him tell how this changed the face of the sport in this country. Find
out what motivated him to dominate. How teams he was involved with
twice forced the rules to be changed to give others a chance. What he
loved about the sport and what he misses today.
But also discover the other Mark Skaife. An accomplished businessman
with runs on the board, a family man devoted to his three children, a
road safety advocate and much more. This is the only place you will
read the true story of Mark Skaife and all that has gone on around him.
About The Author
Mark Skaife is one of Australia’s greatest ever touring car
drivers. In his legendary 22 year career, Mark won five touring car
championships and five Bathursts. He remains the most successful driver
in Australian touring car history surpassing the late Peter Brock’s
record of 37 championship round victories. Like many professional
racing drivers, Mark’s career began in Karts in 1981 before progressing
to race cars in 1984. He was just 17. In 1987 he began a long
association with Gibson Motorsport, which resulted in two Touring Car
Championships, two Bathurst wins and three Australian Drivers (Gold
Star) titles in open wheelers. Skaifey joined the Holden Racing Team in
1997, co-driving with Peter Brock for his two last events. He won a
hat-trick of touring car championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with HRT
in a hugely successful dynasty. The decorated driver is much is much
loved by the motor racing fraternity. Despite his fierce will to win
and intensity on the track, he always had time to sign autographs and
chat with his loyal fans. Articulate, with a great sense of humour,
Mark has been one of the great ambassadors for his sport through media
and corporate appearances. In 2004 Mark was awarded the medal of the
Order Of Australia for his services to motor racing and charity work.
The racing star retired in October, 2008. He has already won rave
reviews for his insightful work as a commentator for Channel 7 coverage
of the V8’s and is also co-host of the new Stick-Shift radio program on
Triple M. On top of that Mark is still a leader in promoting V8
Supercar racing and is sought after for input into car development,
track safety and design.
