Currently the expert commentator of the Repco Supercars Championship, Mark Skaife enjoyed an illustrious career behind the wheel and his run of touring car success began at Wanneroo Raceway in 1991.
Skaife is one of the most lauded and respected drivers of the modern era having equalled Dick Johnson and Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan’s record of five Australian Touring Car Championship titles, with the last being won in dominant fashion.
Despite being a Holden ambassador for much of his career, Skaife was part of the dominant Gibson Motorsport squad during the late-1980s and early-1990s when the Skyline GT-R was termed ‘Godzilla’ by the motoring press due to its superiority.
Plucked by team owner Fred Gibson to join a line-up consisting of fellow young gun Glenn Seton, rally convert George Fury and later multiple touring car champion Jim Richards, Skaife was forced to serve an apprenticeship before giving his chance in the big league.
When Seton left to form his own operation and Fury fell out of favour, Skaife joined Richards in Nissan’s unfavored, but reliable GTS-R to take on the hordes of Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths leading the way in the ATCC.
Loyalty to Nissan and Gibson rewarded Skaife as the next model to take on the Group A regulations put the final nail in the coffin for a ruleset on its last legs.
Skaife was charged with leading the development of the Nissan’s twin-turbocharged, four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steer monster. The GT-R.
It was an arduous task for Gibson Motorsport and Skaife due to the GT-R’s technological advancements, but its pace was clear for all to witness at its debut at Mallala.
The foundation was set for two seasons of domination, but reliability proved a struggle despite Richards using the GT-R to win the final round and seal a third ATCC title for himself, but crucially Nissan’s first.
Alan Heaphy was bought into the team from Nissan’s European program to ensure the Japanese manufacturer won Bathurst. Heaphy added to an impressive line-up of personnel at Gibson Motorsport, while Australian components including a gearbox from Holinger and wheel rims made by Adelaide-based Cast Alloy.
It set-up an unreal run in 1991, with Skaife playing an integral role in developing a world beater. So highly regarded was Gibson Motorsport’s package that NISMO in Japan prevented the team from entering the Fuji 500.
The 1991 ATCC season began at Sandown where Richards and Skaife ran 1-2, repeating this at Symmons Plains before the long trek to Perth for Round 3.
It was Skaife’s time to shine out west as he scored his maiden ATCC round victory leading a Nissan 1-2 from Richards, which was due reward for the development work completed by him during the GT-R program.
It also highlighted Skaife as a title contender as he went on to score two more wins at Mallala and Oran Park to finish runner up in the title to Richards after being forced to drop his worst round from the final total.
However, the tables were turned in 1992 when Skaife achieved his first of five titles and a shift to Holden the next season led to another championship victory in dominant fashion at the end of 1994.
When cigarette sponsorship ended at the end of 1995, Gibson Motorsport hit a lull due to budget constraints and Skaife left at the end of 1997 to join the Holden Racing Team.
Skaife and HRT won a hat-trick of records from 2000 to 2002 in what was a dream period for the team as he went on to own the operation a year later until 2008 when he sold it back to Tom Walkinshaw.
Ending his career as a co-driver for Tasman Motorsport and Triple Eight Race Engineering, Skaife held the record for most race wins at 90 and achieved six Bathurst 1000 victories prior to his retirement after the 2011 endurance events.
A legacy that can be traced back to the 24-year-old phenom’s maiden win at Wanneroo Raceway back in 1991.