Skaife tipped to announce retirement

Holden legend Mark Skaife is expected to confirm within days he will retire from fulltime V8 Supercar racing at the end of the year.
Skaife, 41, has been contemplating his future since crashing out of the Bathurst 1000 a fortnight ago.

But while the Holden Racing Team (HRT) and Skaife would not confirm it, it is
believed he will draw the curtain on his illustrious career soon - perhaps as early
as next week.
Skaife is among the sport's greatest champions, winning more V8 Supercar rounds than
any other driver, five championships and five Bathurst 1000s.
He was at the peak of his powers in a remarkable 2002 season, in which he clinched
his third successive championship for the Holden Racing Team, won the opening five
rounds of the year and Bathurst.
But despite his status and the fact that he has conquered the sport's major
pinnacles, Skaife's future has been the subject of constant speculation this year
amid claims he had lost speed and competitiveness.
Skaife sits 12th in the championship - well inside the top half of the points
standings - and has also been consistent in qualifying all year.
A HRT spokesman said Skaife had not yet made a final call on his future but admitted
the veteran had been considering calling it quits.
"The decision is Mark's to make. Everyone's making conclusions on his behalf.
"At this stage, he's not decided. He is considering what to do, no doubt about it. A
decision is expected within the next two weeks."
But rival drivers and teams were talking about Skaife's retirement as a fait
accompli ahead of this weekend's round of the V8 series at the Gold Coast, starting
on Friday.
Skaife's decision is likely to have been brought into sharp focus by his crash at
Bathurst, when he locked the brakes and hit the wall.
Before Bathurst, he was doing his best to deflect all questions about his future
until the end of the season.
"The day I think I'm not going forward and I don't enjoy it, then I wouldn't be
doing it," Skaife said earlier this month.
"I haven't got my brain around that (my future) at the moment.
"I've just got my head down and doing the best I can to finish the year off well."
Skaife's impending retirement is set to increase speculation that rising Ford star
Will Davison will move to HRT as his replacement, driving alongside championship
contender Garth Tander in 2009.
Davison, who currently drives for Ford's Jim Beam Racing, on Wednesday moved to
quell speculation on his future, perhaps aware Skaife's decision was imminent.