Skaife inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame
Mark Skaife inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame
Five-time Supercars champion sixth driver inducted
Skaife also Supercars, Australian Motorsport Hall of Famer
Supercars champion and broadcaster Mark Skaife has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
The 90-time Supercars race winner was named among eight new athletes in the Hall of Fame on Thursday, on the eve of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
It's the latest accolade for the racing legend, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2004, inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame in 2014, and into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2017.
The five-time champion and six-time Bathurst 1000 winner was named among a decorated group that includes surfing star Mick Fanning, Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson, former Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles, lawn bowls legend Karen Murphy, and Paralympian Liesl Tesch.
Philanthropist Gerry Ryan was honoured as a general member for his work in cycling, with the late Betty Watson inducted for her work in basketball.
Skaife joins fellow racers Sir Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Peter Brock, Allan Moffat and Mark Webber in the Hall of Fame.
It continues a remarkable journey for a driver that hailed from New South Wales' Central Coast, with Skaife becoming a household name with Bathurst wins and championships in Nissans and Commodores with Fred Gibson's team in the early 1990s.
Skaife was the star driver at the turn of the century, reeling off three drivers' titles and three Bathurst 1000s with the Holden Racing Team, before he added a sixth Great Race win with Triple Eight in 2010.
“When I looked at the website and started to contemplate people who are in there, it made me honoured to be part of the same group," Skaife said.
"I’ve been fortunate to be in the motorsport Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame for Supercars, but in the context of where car racing sits in the wider landscape of sport, and seeing the illustrious motor sport names in there, it’s overwhelming in some ways.
"I desperately wanted to be the best, I desperately wanted to win each weekend, and I was in terms of preparation in that era the most prepared to do that. So I think that level of commitment was probably the biggest thing that stood out.”
Skaife will return in the broadcast booth with fellow Supercars Hall of Famer Neil Crompton at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 25-27. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
Live coverage can be found on Foxtel, with live streaming available on Kayo. The Seven Network will take free to air coverage. International viewers can follow all the action on Superview.
