Meeting Mark

MEETING MARK

V8 SUPERSTARS

CLUB 500 MARKEE, ADELAIDE 500, MARCH 2003

I had, in the beginning of the year, set up a Mark Skaife Supporter's Group.

We got t-shirts made up to wear at the races. It was appropriate for me, being the

Group Leader to launch the t-shirt and be the first to show Mark, which I did at the

V8 Superstars filming just prior to the Adelaide 500. Mark had previously been told

about the group and the t-shirts, by two members, so he knew it was coming. I

proudly wore my t-shirt and at the end of the night finally got to show Mark. He was

very impressed and really liked the shirts, which is great. I told him to keep a look

out for them, he'll be seeing them at every round!! Check out the photo of me and

Mark at V8 Superstars below for a look at the shirt!!

Me in my Group T-Shirt with Mark at V8 Superstars, March 2003.

Me with Mark at the Sandown 500, September 2003.

Me in my Group T-Shirt with Mark at Phillip Island, April 2003.

Unfortunately, I have since closed my Group. This is in no way a reflection upon Mark

or my support for him, but rather a reflection upon some members of the Group, who

among other things, seemed to use it for their own personal gain, rather than united

support of Mark, which is why I started the Group. In any type of Group situation,

there always seems to be people who will have differences, but the strength of the

group can help resolve these differences and it is the way you do that that determines

the success of such things. Given this, it's a great disappoint to me to close the Group

that I worked so hard on all year and I feel that, given the right members, it could have

been very successful. That said, I do sincerely thank the genuine and faithful members,

and apologise for any inconvenience and/or nuisance caused to anyone and especially

caused to Mark himself. No matter what happens, my support for Mark will never

end and no Group, lack of Group or anything else will ever change that.

Me and Mark at the HRT Club 1 Function, March 2002.

I've met Mark a few times in the last few years, and every time I have, he's been great.

Here are the stories....

THE AVESCO AWARDS DINNER

ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, DECEMBER 2000

The AVESCO Awards Dinner last year was the first one that the public were able to attend.

I had to be there to watch Mark receive his Championship Trophy. It was a black-tie event.

A couple of weeks prior to the event, I had two of my photos that I had taken at the 2000

Adelaide 500 enlarged, one of Mark on the Podium, one of Mark in the race. My aim for the

night was just to get them signed by him. We were situated at the back of the room, and

the three Holden Racing Team tables were right up the front. I didn't want to bother him

during the meal, so I had to wait for an opportune time. Some time during the early stage

of the evening, I saw him leave the room. I decided this was my chance. My friend and I

got up and waited outside for him to come back. As he was approaching us, we called out

to him and he came over to see us. I asked if he could please sign the photos, which, of

course, he did. We spoke for a few minutes about the Adelaide 500 and about the evening

before he had to go back inside. It was really nice of him to do this for us.

Later that evening I decided I would like a photo with him. We went up to the front of the

room, and got speaking with one of the HRT guys. He took us over to the table where Mark

was and got his attention for us. I asked Mark if we could get a photo together, and of course

he said yes. It was really good of him to do this, because he had been in the middle of a

conversation, which I didn't want to interrupt, but he didn't seem to mind at all. He was

perfectly happy to do it, and even got his friend to take the photo for us.

That night was the most I'd ever been able to talk to him, as normally wherever Mark is, there

are a group of fans around and it's hard to get near him. But this night there were only a small

amount of fans. It meant a lot to me, to able to meet this man who I admire so much, and to

find out that he was so nice and friendly, and great to meet. It just made me like him more.

Me and Mark at the AVESCO Awards Dinner, December 2000.

MY TRIP TO THE HOLDEN RACING TEAM FACTORY

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, DECEMBER 2000

I live in Adelaide, and in December last year (a few weeks after the Awards Dinner), myself

and an English friend of mine who was over for a holiday, went over to Melbourne for a few

days. We arrived near midnight one night. (We left Adelaide in the afternoon). The first thing

we did the next morning was visit Clayton Business Park, home of the Holden Racing Team

and Holden Special Vehicles. This particular day was the last day for HSV tours (as it was a

few days before Christmas). When we arrived at the business park we went to the HRT factory,

(HRT and HSV are are opposite ends of the business park), and I was in heaven. It was like a

pilgrimage back to the holy land for me!! There was a display car in the car park, which I parked

next to. The transporter was also outside the factory, but we didn't get to go inside that until

later on. We went inside the building, admiring all the prints lining the walls up the stairs to

the reception (some of which I have at home). The reception area is fantastic, complete with a

huge amount of shining trophies in cabinets. There are also drivers' suits hanging on display.

Mark's Championship Trophy hadn't made it into the cabinet yet, I admired it sitting on a shelf

behind the receptionist. We asked if we could go onto the viewing deck (I had talked to the HRT

Spokesman, Paul Weissel, at the dinner a few weeks before this, about my visit to HRT), but we

couldn't on this day because they were holding a function there (I have impeccable timing). We

were told that we could come back the next day to do it.

We had a look around outside the factory building, and as we were driving out, a very nice black

HSV VT GTS was approaching us. I joked and said "I bet that's Mark Skaife" to my friend, and

I got the shock of my life when I saw that IT WAS!! So we drove back into the car park and I

went over to say hello. After chatting to us for a few minutes, and wishing us a Happy Christmas,

Mark had to go to the function we were told about. I was amazed, he said he remembered me

from the Awards Dinner, and I'd just met my hero again. My friend from England was really

excited too, he'd just met the Australian Touring Car Champion!!

After all this, we then went over to HSV and arranged for a tour of their factory for later that

afternoon. So in the meantime, we went to Sandown Raceway and had a look around there,

and to Perkins Engineering (which was all closed up) and then had lunch in the best cafe in

the world. It was HSV's cafe, with sandwiches named after HSV's and tables painted with track

maps on them, like Bathurst, Mallala, Calder Park, Sandown, Oran Park, Winton etc, and the

names of the lap record holders and the lap records.

After all this, we went back over to HSV and had our factory tour. They even took us back over

to HRT and showed us through the transporter and onto the viewing deck, as the function had

finished by this stage. So the day turned out to be great, we got everything we wanted, and more!!

A Holden Racing Team display car (with the transporter and factory in the background).

** The Official Holden Racing Team Site **

*********** Mark Skaife "There Goes My Hero" ************