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Born in 1942, he was raised and educated in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs before his parents moved to Southern Sydney’s Cronulla. He joined the local car club, and his doting aunt brought him a new MGA 1600.
With support of former racer and Blakehurst MG dealer Gordon Stewart, he upgraded and raced a black Mk2A Sprite around NSW until early 1967 when he sold the car and married. It wasn’t long before he bought a 1275cc MG Midget.
He won his first race and was selected to race the works BMC lightweight Midget, the local factory-built sportscar that starred on debut at the 1967 Surfers Paradise 12 Hour, with Brian Foley and John French.
There was just one drive in 1969, in a works Toyota Corolla at the Surfers Paradise 12 Hour, Then for the 1970 12 Hour, Skelton and Don Holland finished third outright in a Mini Cooper S.
After he was runner up to Larry Perkins in 1971, he won the 1972 TAA Driver To Europe Formula Ford Series which was the forerunner to the Australian Formula Ford Championship/Series.
He took his prize and the Bowin P6 to England for a couple of meetings that included the Formula Ford Festival at Snetterton where fellow Aussies, Buzz Buzaglo, Peter Finlay, John Leffler and Larry Perkins also raced.
The next year he converted his Bowin P6 to Formula 2 specs by installing a Hart Ford twin-cam engine.
He raced touring cars as well, at first in a Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3. After a DNF In the Sandown 250, he and Phil Barnes finished second in the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500.
In 1973 he was in a Falcon XA GT Hardtop for the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 with John French who qualified the car fourth before they failed to finish.
He was picked up by the Holden Dealer Team for the 1974 H-F to drive the #2 Holden Torana LH SL/R 5000 with Colin Bond. They and the #1 HDT Torana of Peter Brock/Brian Sampson dominated the race until both struck mechanical trouble. The #1 car was a DNF and Bond/Skelton were able to soldier on for fourth.
Skelton became the lead driver of the Max Wright Motors entry for the 1975 Bathurst entry and with Ron Dickson, finished fourth again. The following year he and Alan Hamilton were seventh in the Great Race and at his last Bathurst enduro appearance with old rival and teammate Holland, they were non-finishers.
From 1973 an astute Skelton delved into the niche market of design and manufacture of promotional apparel. Mr Jackets Promotional Products which started with Austin Tauranac then later Ken Mathews was highly successful with an annual turnover well in excess of $1 million.
Speedcafe extends condolences to his extended family, friends and acquaintances in the motor sport community.
