ARCHIVES
This page will simply feature stories and pieces I have written that are no longer latest news.
MARK GETS ENGAGED!!
As aforementioned, in the off-season Mark got engaged to his long-time
partner, Toni Strachan. Toni attends every race meeting and is a great
support for Mark on and off the track. Having had a number of opportunities
to meet and talk to Toni, I have discovered that she is a wonderful woman
and I wish them all the happiness in the world in their life together.
Mark & Toni at the 2002 Awards Dinner.
“This photo comes from the V8 Supercar Site”
2003 CHAMPIONSHIP INTRODUCTION
Although the first race of the year for the Touring Cars is at the Australian Grand Prix
from March 6 to 9, the 2003 Championship officially begins again in Adelaide at the
Clipsal 500, from March 20 to 23.
This season is going to be vastly different from previous seasons with a variety of new
rules and regulations, new race formats, new events, new teams and some major driver
changes. What some of these controversial new rules and regulations will actually do to
the racing and series in general, we can only wait and see.
Such rule and regulation changes include the introduction of Project Blueprint, vastly
changing the Commodore, different testing and practising rules, limiting testing days
for multi-car teams, a new points system and so on.
The new race formats include most rounds only having one 300 km race, rather than
the two shorter races last year.
New events such as the Queensland 300 and the finale at Eastern Creek.
New teams such as Ford Performance Racing and some major driver changes such as
Russell Ingall defecting to Ford at Stone Brothers Racing, Craig Lowndes and David
Besnard moving to FPR, Jason Bargwanna defecting to Ford at Larkham Motorsport,
and the unfortunate non-racers for this year in Tony Longhurst and Neil Crompton.
The biggest driver shake up on the Holden side is at TWR. The Holden Racing Team
will now have Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly, K-Mart Racing will now have Greg Murphy
and Rick Kelly, and the new Team Brock being run under TWR will have Jason Bright
and Paul Weel. Not to mention no more Holden Young Lions running in the series.
Make no mistake, this year is going to be vastly different, some of us fearing the series
won't be as good this year, let us all keep our fingers crossed our beloved series will be,
as Mark would say, "As Good As It Gets".
THE HONDY INDY 300 NOW AN OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
This years Hondy Indy 300 is now an Official Championship Round. For the
first time in Australian Motorsport history, an International Championship
Race and a National Championship Race will be held during the same event.
The Honda Indy 300, Round 17 of the CART/Fedex Championship Series,
will now also be Round 11 of the Touring Car Championship. The event
will feature two 100km races, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday.
It will be very interesting to see these races as Championship races, due
to the high carnage rate around the tight, concrete-walled Gold Coast Circuit.
THE 2002 HOLDEN RACING TEAM LIVERY
On Wednesday 20 February, the Holden Racing Team launched their new
livery for both the Holden Racing Team cars and the Holden Young Lions Car.
The cars feature much the same livery as last year, with some black additions.
MARK WINS A DRAMATIC PHILLIP ISLAND ROUND!!
This years round at Phillip Island was very dramatic. After a rainy Shootout,
Mark qualified 3rd. Race One began with a huge crash, causing a complete
re-start. After a slighter slower pit stop than probably should have happened,
Mark ended up in second. In a very aggressive drive, Mark tried to get past
Marcos Ambrose, but it wasn't to be. Race Two was all Mark's race. The race
win, and Marcos' DNF made Mark the overall round winner, in one of the most
action-packed rounds we've seen for a while. The round win has given Mark
a healthy lead in the Championship so far. Congratulations Mark!!
MARK TO PRE-QUALIFY FOR THE ADELAIDE 500
This years Adelaide 500 will be somewhat different for the reigning Touring
Car Champion. In what comes as an interesting move from the Holden Racing
Team, Mark will be Pre-Qualifying for the 500. Due to Rick Kelly joining the
Holden Racing Team as a "Holden Young Lion", one of the three cars (also
including Jason Bright), must Pre-Qualify for the race. Whilst it is potentially
risky, Mark has been chosen to contest the 20-Minute "do or die" session on
the Wednesday before the 500. The session is being held at Mallala Motorsport
Park, former location of the Adelaide round of the Championship, around an
hour North of Adelaide. The team believes, and rightfully so, that the session
will provide valuable testing time for the new tyres being used this year. It
will be a very interesting session, with the new tyres and the fact that these
cars haven't been around the Mallala track since 1998.
MARK WINS THE ADELAIDE 500!!
This years Adelaide 500 was absolutely sensational!! It was a perfect weekend for
Mark, finishing first in Pre-Qualifying at Mallala, then qualifying first, finishing first
in the Top 15 Shootout, and winning both the Saturday Race and the Sunday race.
It could not have been a better weekend!! He was in fine form from the beginning
and carried it through the entire weekend. What a Champion!!
** The Official Holden Racing Team Site **
*********** Mark Skaife "There Goes My Hero" ************