V8 legend announces retirement

Five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Mark Skaife has announced his retirement from fulltime V8 Supercar racing.

Skaife is among the sport's greatest champions, winning five Bathursts and five Australian touring car championships in a career which started in a Nissan Gazelle in 1987.

The 41-year-old retires with more touring car/V8 round wins than any other driver, taking out 40 of the 211 rounds he has contested.

With fellow V8 champions including Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander looking on, Skaife drew the curtain on his full-time driving career in Melbourne after more than a decade as Holden's highest-profile driver.

Skaife admitted the decision to quit had been difficult, but acknowledged it was the right time to move on.

"Motor racing has been my life for the past 21 years, and as any professional sportsman will attest, if you have a love and passion for what you are doing, then retirement is not something you ever easily consider," Skaife said.

-AAP