Skaife to reunite with racing Skyline
Since retiring from full-time Touring Car Racing in 2008, Skaife has been a driving force behind the V8 Supercars 'Car of the Future' program, but will return to his racing roots behind the wheel of the HR 31 GT-R sedan in which he contested much of the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship.
Skaife will be the third Australian Champion making their Historic Racing debut at the 2013 'Classic, which runs from March 8 - 10. This year's event will also feature fellow six-time Bathurst winner Larry Perkins, who will return to racing after a 10-year absence to drive the ex-Kevin Bartlett 1985 'Pantera Bianca' coupe, while four-time Australian Driving Champion Alfredo Costanzo will race the ex-Bartlett 1971 McLaren M10B Formula 5000 in open wheeler events.
The New South Welshman joined Gibson Motorsport in 1987, initially as a mechanic, before sporadic drives in '88 and '89 led to him replacing George Fury as full-time driver from 1990, with Jim Richards as team mate. In the final round of the 1990 ATCC at Oran Park, Skaife drove his Nissan Skyline HR 31 into fourth place in a race won by Richards in the team's then-new, four wheel drive Skyline GTS-R. Their combined performances secured the first of Nissan's landmark three consecutive Australian Touring Car Championship titles.
He and Gibson won Bathurst as driver and manager three times during a long and successful touring car and open wheel racing relationship.
Skaife said he was excited to be reunited with his old Skyline racing car, a two wheel drive, 440HP, turbocharged six cylinder 2.0-litre that was acquired recently by Richards.
"This is a unique opportunity - one I just couldn't pass up," he said. "The combination of driving for Fred, in Jim's Skyline, at one of the world's most decorated Historic meetings, held at Australia's best permanent race circuit, is something that will bring back many great memories for me.
"I hope that seeing Gibson Motorsport again running one of the great cars of Australian motorsport history will inspire the fans there to experience all the old touring cars".
Gibson Motorsport has recently been reborn and is currently responsible for the maintenance and development of several historic racing cars as well as many classic road cars.
The HR31 that Skaife will drive is one of three Nissans that Gibson Motorsport will field at this year's Phillip Island Classic.
Skaife's 'teammates' are the similar former Nissan team HR31 owned and driven by Robert Marshall and the ex-George Fury DR30 RS-2000, owned by Carolyn Kruger and to be driven at Phillip Island by fellow Victorian Luke Ellery. The DR30 was raced in 1986-87 and still carries all the battle scars from its last ATCC outing.
The Gibson Motorsport garage will be prominent in the pit paddock at Phillip Island, with cars and team history on display for all spectators, who are encouraged to visit and chat with team personnel.
The 24th annual Phillip Island Classic is being staged by the Victorian Historic Racing Register and is supported by Shannons, CoolDrive, Penrite and Bosch, with race officials supplied by the Victorian Mini Club. For more meeting details, visit www.vhrr.com
