were later fined by race officials. Both drivers also had points deducted, which left Skaife finishing the year in sixth place in the championship. 2004 – Fails to win a championship round for the first time in six years. Finishes season 12th in points with a best round result of second at Oran Park. Out of contention early at Bathurst with mechanical trouble (teamed with Todd Kelly). 2005 – Wins fifth Bathurst 1000 crown driving the Holden Commodore VZ, this time teamed with Todd Kelly. Records fifth place in V8 Supercars Championship Series. 2006 – Finishes only 16th in V8 Supercars Championship Series despite seven wins. Crashes out of Bathurst 1000 on opening lap after enduring mechanical issues while starting from pole position (teamed with Garth Tander). 2007 – Records eighth in V8 Supercars Championship Series with one round win, driving the Holden Commodore VE – finishing behind teammate Kelly in the standings for the fourth consecutive year. Misses Sandown 500 due to appendix surgery before crashing out of Bathurst 1000 in closing stages. Transfers partial ownership of HRT back to Tom Walkinshaw. Skaife reached 200 championship round starts in the final event of 2007. 2008 – Joined at HRT by the then reigning champion Garth Tander. Wins L&H 500 at Phillip Island alongside Garth Tander. Finishes 12th in Bathurst 1000 after mid-race crash. Confirms 2008 will be final season as full-time driver following Gold Coast event. Ends season 14th in points with a 27th place round result in Oran Park finale. Announces sale of remainder of HRT to Walkinshaw. V8 Supercars Championship Series – Endurance Races (2009–2011) Following Skaife's retirement from full-time driving, he announced that he would compete in the V8 Supercars endurance races for 2009, an arrangement that he continued into 2010 and 2011. This was a highly successful venture which gave Skaife further wins at Philip Island in 2010 & 2011 and his final Bathurst victory in 2010. 2009 – Skaife teams with Greg Murphy at Tasman Motorsport for endurance races, finishing 11th in Phillip Island 500 and fourth in Bathurst 1000. 2010 – Skaife joins TeamVodafone to win Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000 alongside Craig Lowndes. 2011 – Skaife continues as an endurance-only driver in V8 Supercars Championship for third consecutive year. Teams with Lowndes to score second consecutive Phillip Island 500 victory before placing second in Bathurst 1000. Skaife announced on 17 October