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Skaife Joins Elite 200 Club |
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Thursday, 22 November 2007 |
THE Holden Racing Team’s Mark Skaife will capture yet another record in his stellar
career at Phillip Island’s Grand Finale when he joins the elite ATCC/V8 Supercar 200
Club.
Skaife joins the retiring John Bowe (225), Peter Brock (212), Glenn Seton (205) and
Dick Johnson (202) as the 2007 season ends.
Skaife has also set a benchmark for the career wins/rounds ratio for drivers
completing over 200 rounds with victory every 5.2 rounds over his career.
Skaife also holds the record for most ever round wins (38) and most championships
(5, together with Ian Geoghegan and Dick Johnson), plus five Bathurst 1000 victories.
“When I started out twenty years ago I never envisaged those sort of statistics,” said
Skaife.
“Chalking up 200 is not easy in such a competitive environment and I suppose now
that John Bowe is retiring there’s incentive to reel him in over the next couple of
seasons.
“200 is a nice milestone and it seems that it’s taken no time at all to get there.
“V8 racing being what it is, there’s highlights and lowlights, but there’s been some
special race moments over the journey.
“The first was in ’92 when I won my first Touring Car Championship in the Nissan
and then being the youngest ever to do so. That same day we also won the
Australian Drivers Championship in a Formula Holden open wheeler, so it was a
great day.
“The second was winning the V8 Championship in 1994 with a Fred Gibson
Commodore as it was Holden’s first title for 14 years since Brock and HDT in
1980.
“The 2002 HRT Bathurst win with Jim Richards was also one of my favourite
moments, as it sealed the championship at the same time and came 10 years
after my first Bathurst success.
“The 38th victory at Eastern Creek this year was another obvious highlight in that
it surpassed Peter Brock’s record,” said Skaife.
“I guess 2007 has been a memorable year, what with the 38 wins, twenty year
and 200 round milestones.”
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