Tasmania is not known for its particularly good weather (Melbourne still gets a worse wrap) and in 1999 it was at its most severe and there were no laps behind the safety car, it’s was straight into it.
Mark Skaife was eager to take full advantage of his teammate Craig Lowndes’ absence following his Calder Park rollover, which resulted in a broken leg.
The pair were at the Holden Racing Team and fierce title contenders, so it was important for Skaife to take maximum points while Lowndes was on the sidelines.
Supercars teams and drivers were confronted on arrival to Symmons Plains with treacherous conditions at best, severe at worst.
“It was absolutely hosing,” said Skaife.
“There were times when it just sort of abated and it got to a point where around Turn 6 there was a massive puddle on the left-hand-side on the apex. I clipped the left wheel and the car bolted sideways and all but went in the fence on the right-hand-side. It was a massive safe, but Murph (Greg Murphy) got me.
Skaife nearly had a perfect round by winning two out of the three races during the tough weekend.
“I couldn’t see anything, as hard as I’ve seen it rain, Skaife described. It was like Bathurst 1992.
“I had (Russell) Ingall catching me, so we got into Turn 1 and 2 firing over the hill going right, then left. Both cars engines turned off because we had the wheels locked and it was completely silent.
“We right on the edge of going off the road and we got out of the car, we were laughing because we thought it was one of the funniest things of all time.”
The championship continued to prove illusive for Skaife as Lowndes and Ingall both finished ahead, though 2000 was different story.