Mark Skaife has been appointed as the second independent Director on the Board of V8 Supercars Australia.

Skaife fills the vacant position to join fellow independent, South Australia's Roger Cook, on the eight-man Board having been unanimously voted into the position at this week's June Board meeting.

Skaife has previously held a Board position as an owner of Gibson Motorsport in the 1990s and then the flagship Holden Racing Team in the 2000s. He has become a household name through his career in motor racing and with his huge profile outside of the sport.

In 2004 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal, for services to motor racing and charity.

“Mark of course is enormously well known and highly respected within motorsport, Australian sport in general and business circles,” the Board said in a statement. “He retired at the end of last year after an illustrious career which included five Australian Touring Car Championships and five Bathurst crowns. Mark has an in-depth knowledge of the sport and will be an invaluable asset to the growth of V8 Supercars Australia well into the future.”

The Board of V8 Supercars Australia now compromises Tony Cochrane as Executive Chairman, team representatives Tim Edwards, Paul Morris, Larry Perkins and Jason Bright, SEL representative James Erskine, Cook and Skaife.

“I'm passionate about the sport and I'm passionate about seeing it grow,” Skaife said. “I've always made it clear I wanted to play a part in the business. It's my life, my heritage and I feel very excited about giving back to the game that treated me so well. There are plenty of great things on the immediate horizon, I'm thrilled to be involved.”

Cochrane echoed those comments.

“Mark will be a very valuable contributor to the sport and I share the entire Boards' delight that he has decided to accept this position,” he said. “Like all Board positions this is a two-year appointment commencing from July 1.

“Mark is already heavily involved as one of the specialist commentators on our Seven and international broadcasts and is also Chairman of our 'Car of the Future' committee and he has also played a considerable role behind the scenes with his design input into both the Dunlop Townsville 400 and Sydney Telstra 500 street circuits.

“His knowledge, reputation and understanding of the culture of our sport is absolutely first class.”