Shane van Gisbergen’s move from Supercars to NASCAR in 2024 may have a knock-on effect that sees Jess Dane follow him to North America.
Despite this, seven-time Supercars champion and Triple Eight Racing Engineering Team Principal, Jamie Whincup, says the pair’s exit will not spark an exodus from the team.
Speaking in a press conference at last weekend’s Round 7 of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park, Whincup made a rare public acknowledgment of the relationship between van Gisbergen and Dane.
Dane was among those trackside – admittedly along with other Triple Eight members including van Gisbergen’s race engineer, Andrew Edwards – during the three-time champion’s winning NASCAR debut.
Van Gisbergen has since told media that he is seeking a NASCAR seat in 2024 – a year earlier than his contract to race Supercars with Triple Eight dictates.
Yet when asked about Jess Dane following van Gisbergen stateside as soon as 2024, Whincup explained that it is a possibility and recognised the relationship between the two, which has largely been kept out of the public spotlight.
“Generally the partner follows the other partner if they’ve got a job opportunity and they’re the breadwinner,” Whincup said.
“So yeah, okay – that change could happen – but I don’t think it will go any further than that. Triple Eight’s much bigger than any individual – including myself – so, you have one individual move on, it won’t drop half a dozen out, that’s for sure.”
Jess Dane bought into the business in 2015, and currently owns 30 percent of the organisation. Dane’s father, Roland Dane, sold his final remaining 11 percent stake at the end of 2021.
Whincup bought a stake in the team in 2018 and now owns 30 percent, becoming Managing Director as he stepped away from full-time driving, with Tony Quinn buying the remaining 40 percent of the Banyo-based outfit.
While that remains the current ownership structure, it’s unclear who may buy Jess Dane’s stake if she decides to sell, which may not happen even if she does choose to move to North America.
Van Gisbergen will make his oval debut on Friday August 11 at Indianapolis, where he will also make his second NASCAR Cup start the same weekend.
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