No talk of retirement as Skaife eyes sixth Bathurst

 

By Guy Hand, 3 Oct 2008

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 1980s, Bathurst 1000, Gosford, Holden, Mark Skaife, motor sports, New Zealand, Queensland, Steve Johnson

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Holden hero Mark Skaife has shunted any retirement talk off the public agenda for the foreseeable future, saying he remains as motivated as ever to conquer Bathurst for the sixth time next week.

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The five-time Bathurst 1000 champion admits he is as excited about taking on Mount Panorama as he was when he first raced at the mountain in 1987.

Now 41, Skaife’s assessment going into his 22nd Bathurst was he’ll be as good there as he’s ever been.

“I still feel it’s a great gauge for how motivated I am and I still feel the same way as when I was a young bloke going there in my early 20s,” Skaife said.

“I’m eager to get there, and eager to get on and do a really good job.

“I feel like I’ll be as good at Bathurst as I’ve ever been.

“I was on the front row of the grid last year, our speed at Bathurst has always been good, it’s a place I love, it’s a matter of stepping up to the grand final.”

Retirement talk has been riding shotgun with Skaife all year, despite him being consistently fast in qualifying, occupying a mid-table position in the drivers’ championship and not being the oldest driver in the series.

He does not have a contract with his Holden Racing Team beyond this year, though he said nothing should be read into that as to how likely he was to keep racing.

If Skaife wants to drive on, HRT appears certain to let him and when he decides to eventually retire, it would be on his terms.

“My thing has always been there’s an area of flexibility to determine where I go going forward,” Skaife said.

“The day I think I’m not going forward and I don’t enjoy it, then I wouldn’t be doing it.

“I haven’t got my brain around that (my future) at the moment.

“I’ve just got my head down and doing the best I can for this particular race and to finish the year off well.

“I know I’m plenty fast enough when I’m in the right frame of mind.”

Skaife last won at Bathurst in 2005, and this year has one of his best chances for victory.

Teamed with championship leader Garth Tander, the pair produced a remarkable win at the Phillip Island lead-up last month.

Tander came up with one of the drives of his career to secure the race win, coming from a lap down to hound Ford’s Jamie Whincup into error while leading the 500km race.

His undoubted speed, allied to Skaife’s experience around Bathurst, makes them an intriguing and hard-to-beat combination when practice starts next Thursday.

Tander has won only once at Bathurst – when he paired with Jason Bargwanna in 2000.

Three of Skaife’s Bathurst victories have come since then.

The pair’s Commodore will also have a special livery to mark Holden’s 60th anniversary.

Leading contenders in the 2008 Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama on October 12:
GARTH TANDER
DOB: 31/3/77
Born: Perth
Bathurst starts: 10
Best result: 1st (2000)

MARK SKAIFE
DOB: 3/4/67
Born: Gosford
Bathurst starts: 21
Best result: 1st (1991, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2005)

HOLDEN RACING TEAM
It’s the dream team pairing for Holden – the defending series champion with a five-time Bathurst winner, and they served notice of what to expect with a dashing win in the endurance prelude at Phillip Island. Tander has won three rounds this year and leads the championship going into Bathurst. While now a veteran, Skaife is still usually at the pointy end of the grid. The team to beat.

RICK KELLY
DOB: 17/1/83
Born: Mildura, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 7
Best result: 1st (2003, 2004)

PAUL RADISICH
DOB: 9/10/62
Born: Auckland, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 18
Best result: 2nd (1990, 2000)

HSV DEALER TEAM
With two wins and four top 10 finishes in just seven goes at the mountain, Kelly relishes Bathurst. He had a rare DNF last year, but teaming with the experienced Radisich gives him a huge chance of a third victory. Kiwi Radisich no longer drives fulltime in the V8s, but did so for nine years competitively. Had a huge crash on the mountain two years ago in which he suffered serious injuries.

RUSSELL INGALL
DOB: 24/2/64
Born: England
Bathurst starts: 16
Best result: 1st (1995, 1997)

PAUL MORRIS
DOB: 22/12/67
Born: Morwell, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 15
Best result: 3rd (1999)

SUPERCHEAP AUTO RACING
Two of the category veterans who will fancy their chances of causing an upset. Two-time Bathurst champion Ingall is having an Indian summer in this year’s championship, currently in the top 10. Much will depend on whether teammate Morris, who has a habit of running foul of officialdom, can stay on the black stuff and out of trouble. Have made no secret they have been targeting this race all season.

GREG MURPHY
DOB: 23/8/72
Born: Hastings, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 15
Best result: 1st (1996, 1999, 2003, 2004)

JASON RICHARDS
DOB: 10/4/76
Born: Nelson, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 10
Best result: 2nd (2005)

SPRINT GAS RACING
Few know their way around Mt Panorama better than four-time winner Murphy, who has battled several difficult seasons since his last triumph with Rick Kelly four years ago. Bad luck and disaster have a habit of striking Richards when he is in winning contention, though he is unquestionably talented. Their car gave out early at Phillip Island, but it’s a solid pairing which should be thereabouts.

LEE HOLDSWORTH
DOB: 2/2/83
Born: Melbourne
Bathurst starts: 4
Best result: 9th (2007)

MICHAEL CARUSO
DOB: 25/5/83
Born: Sydney
Bathurst starts: 1
Best result: 28th (2007)

GARRY ROGERS MOTORSPORT
Holdsworth has enjoyed his most consistent V8 season, regularly qualifying and finishing top 10 to build on his maiden round win in 2007. While he and Caruso have little Bathurst experience, the team has won at the mountain before and knows what it takes to be competitive. If the car holds together and the drivers keep their nerve, Holdsworth and Caruso loom as dark horses to sneak on to the podium.

CRAIG LOWNDES
DOB: 21/6/74
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 14
Best result: 1st (1996, 2006, 2007)

JAMIE WHINCUP
DOB: 6/2/83
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 6
Best result: 1st (2006, 2007)

TEAM VODAFONE
The two-time defending champions are certain to be in the thick of things again. Lowndes and Whincup are two of the purest driving talents in the series – the latter desperate to make amends for an error which cost the team the Phillip Island lead-up. Both are in the championship top six, and the duo are enduro specialists, having won three of the past four long-distance races held in the series.

MARK WINTERBOTTOM
DOB: 20/5/81
Born: Sydney, NSW
Bathurst starts: 5
Best result: 5th (2004).

STEVEN RICHARDS
DOB: 11/7/72
Born: Auckland, New Zealand
Bathurst starts: 15
Best result: 1st (1998, 1999)

FORD PERFORMANCE RACING
The pacesetting team for the first half of the season have a score to settle on the mountain. Winterbottom threw away victory last year when he lost control while leading late in the race and finished up in a gravel trap. This season Winterbottom has been jet-fast and rock-solid. Richards is a total professional who has twice won Bathurst, though not for nearly a decade. Hard to beat.

WILL DAVISON
DOB: 30/8/82
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 4
Best result: 3rd (2007)

STEVE JOHNSON
DOB: 6/9/74
Born: Brisbane, Queensland
Bathurst starts: 14
Best result: 3rd (2007)

JIM BEAM RACING
Davison and Johnson combined for a podium finish last year and Davison has been particularly impressive in this year’s championship. He sits fifth in the title race and has been competitive all season in sprint races. Though they will be driving Davison’s No.18, not the famous Dick Johnson No.17, the outfit backed by the 1980s Ford legend could make a return to their Bathurst glory days.

JAMES COURTNEY
DOB: 29/6/80
Born: Penrith, NSW
Bathurst starts: 3
Best result: 2nd (2007)

DAVID BESNARD
DOB: 21/1/77
Born: Sydney, NSW
Bathurst starts: 7
Best result: 2nd (2007)

STONE BROTHERS RACING
Courtney and Besnard came close to winning last year but had to settle for second, and have been given the opportunity to team up again. While Courtney has had a solid season, Besnard drove for seven seasons fulltime in the category and knows it well. SBR are always strong at Bathurst and have been podium finishers the past two seasons. Could they finally rise to the top step?

FABIAN COULTHARD
DOB: 28/7/82
Born: England
Bathurst starts: 4
Best result: 16th (2007)

ALEX DAVISON
DOB: 3/11/79
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Bathurst starts: 4
Best result: 9th (2006)

GLENFORDS RACING
Bathurst isn’t a race for the swiftest – the winner is the team with speed and stamina in equal doses. New Zealand-raised Coulthard has been outstanding in a small team this season, sitting just outside the championship top 10 but recording several good finishes in a dependable car. Davison has twice finished in the Bathurst top 10, and has been driving with success in the European Le Mans series.