The five-time champion and six-time Bathurst 1000 winner was one of eight athletes inducted this week.
Surfing star Mick Fanning, former Kookaburras’ captain Mark Knowles, lawn bowls legend Karen Murphy, Olympic Games hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson, and Paralympian Liesl Tesch were among the inductees.
Philanthropist Gerry Ryan was inducted as a general member for his work in cycling. The late Betty Watson was also inducted for her work in basketball.
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame features the likes of Sir Donald Bradman, Dawn Fraser, and Cathy Freeman.
Skaife is just the sixth driver to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after Sir Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, and Mark Webber.
“It does feel incredibly humbling because it’s one of those ones where you go through your sporting career, you don’t really know what that journey looks like, and to end up with this induction is a great honour,” said Skaife on Sunrise.
“When you read out some of those names that you just referred to, it’s extraordinary. In racing-land, it’s basically Brock, Moffat, and Sir Jack Brabham who was such a superstar in Formula 1.”
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Skaife, a six-time Bathurst 1000 winner and five-time Supercars champion, was born in Gosford and raised in Wyong where he attended high school.
As a teenager, he moved to Melbourne to chase his touring car aspirations with Fred Gibson’s team.
He was made famous in 1991, winning his first Bathurst 1000 alongside Jim Richards with Gibson Motorsport and Nissan.
A year later, he returned to Mount Panorama for what would prove to be the most controversial moment of his career when Nissan won the Great Race in a rain-shortened affair.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Coming from the Central Coast of New South Wales in Wyong. My mum and dad worked incredibly hard in our automotive business to pave the way for me to get involved,” said Skaife.
“I moved to Melbourne when I was 19 to drive for Fred Gibson in the Nissan factory team. That factory team ended up winning Bathurst with the Nissan GT-R and driving with Jim Richards. All that early part was a really vivid part for me in terms of my career.
“Then, fortunately, I was able to be the front man for Holden and the Holden Racing Team for all those wins across a very great part for General Motors in this country. It’s been a real journey.”
Speaking on the pinnacle of his career, Skaife pinpointed winning the 2002 Bathurst 1000 a decade on from Richards’ iconic “pack of arseholes” comment.
“He obviously gave the crowd a real rev in 1992 and 10 years on he was able to walk out onto the podium and say you’re a pack of wonderful people,” said Skaife.
“So that was a great response, 10 years on in 2002 to win the championships and Bathurst on the same day.”
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