Motorsport: Bathurst champ rejects fulltime return

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BATHURST - Bathurst 1000 champion Mark Skaife says he's not considering a return to fulltime driving despite winning Sunday's V8 endurance classic at Mt Panorama.

The five-time driver's champion stepped away from the sport at the end of the 2008 season, returning in 2009 and 2010 solely for the endurance events at Phillip Island and Bathurst.

But despite claiming both titles this year alongside TeamVodafone ace Craig Lowndes, the Holden champ knocked back suggestions he might be contemplating a fulltime return.

"I've no problem with my decision to retire fulltime," Skaife said.

"It was one of those ones ... I wasn't enjoying it as much as I should have been and I wasn't driving the car at the level I wanted to drive it at.

"I like doing these races, this is good fun."

Skaife will be back for next year's endurance events, although whether that is with TeamVodafone or another team has yet to be determined.

The win not only closed an open chapter in the career of Lowndes and Skaife after failing to win at Bathurst in their previous attempts as teammates 10 years ago, but brings Lowndes right back into the championship hunt.

While Ford's James Courtney and Lowndes' teammate Jamie Whincup are still the championship frontrunners, the 36-year-old's two endurance wins have him just 284 points behind Courtney going into the season's final races.

And after a month where he's won the Phillip Island 500, the Australasian Desert Safari rally and now the Bathurst 1000, Lowndes hopes to keep the winning streak going.

But Jim Beam Racing driver Courtney, who finished fifth in Sunday's race, isn't about to give up the fight to the TeamVodafone pair just yet.

"We lost some points to Jamie today, but it could have been worse and I still have a good lead," Courtney said.

"Now we will regroup for the Gold Coast. It's my 'home' race and I finished on the podium there last year.

"The track has been changed so that's a new challenge for everyone."

The Gold Coast 600 at Surfers Paradise is the next stop for V8 Supercars, being held from October 22 to 24.

- AAP