Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen in a relationship with team owner Jessica Dane
Supercars powerhouse Triple Eight Racing is fully aware and supportive of a personal relationship that has developed between team owner Jessica Dane and star driver and reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen, sources have told Wide World of Sports.
The relationship has been an open secret in the Supercars paddock for months, however both van Gisbergen and Dane are reluctant to talk about it publicly.
Triple Eight Racing is staunch in its support of the couple but was not keen to provide answers to questions about how any relationship of this nature between senior leaders in a sports outfit could potentially impact the dynamic of a team.
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Dane is the daughter of the squad's eponymous former team owner, Roland. She bought into the outfit in 2017, a year after van Gisbergen joined the Banyo squad.
Garth Tander (L) and Shane van Gisbergen with the Peter Brock Trophy after winning the Bathurst 1000. Getty
Dane's stake in the team has since increased and she now owns 30 per cent. Champion former driver Jamie Whincup also owns 30 per cent of the team, with the other 40 per cent held by businessman and motorsport identity Tony Quinn.
Van Gisbergen signed a multi-year deal with the team in 2020. It is understood that he comes off contract at the end of the 2023 season
Dane's role is bigger than just a financial stake in the business. Her official title with the team is Commercial Operations Manager. She handles the day-to-day running of operations, partnerships, sponsorships, HR and legal.
She was also deputy team manager of the wildcard entry for Craig Lowndes and Declan Fraser at the Bathurst 1000.
Dane travelled with van Gisbergen to France for his debut in the famous Le Mans 24-hour earlier this year, and was also involved in his cameo in the World Rally Championship in New Zealand, a week before the Bathurst 1000.
Van Gisbergen, who currently resides on the Gold Coast, recently bought a house in Brisbane to be closer to the team's Banyo workshop.
Shane van Gisbergen in action at Mount Panorama. Red Bull
When WWOS made an enquiry about the relationship during the Bathurst 1000, Dane was made available for an interview. That interview centred around the race and her years of working with Lowndes but she clarified that she and van Gisbergen are not engaged to be married. She was not keen to speak further about the relationship.
On the track, the Triple Eight Racing team is flying, with van Gisbergen in career best form. He has been the benchmark driver in the sport since the start of 2021.
By winning the Bathurst 1000, he broke Scott McLaughlin's record for the most race wins in a single season, with two race meetings - and four races - still to run on the Gold Coast and Adelaide.
Bathurst 1000: Memorable moments from Mount Panorama
