Dane stands down from Triple Eight

Roland Dane has announced that he will stand down from his role as non-executive Chairman of Triple Eight Race Engineering at the end of 2024.

Dane's departure brings to a close one of the most successful eras in the history of the Australian Touring Car Championship, that saw the 68-year-old, born in Ireland, take his team to the top with a no-nonsense, ultra-professional approach to racing.

Having risen to prominence as the factory Vauxhall team in the iconic Super Touring era of the British Touring Car Championship in the late 1990s, Dane brought the Triple Eight name into Supercars in the following decade.

Triple Eight bought out Briggs Motorsport midway through the 2003 season, and what's followed in the following 22 seasons of the Supercars Championship has been nothing short of astonishing.

Since 2003, Triple Eight have won 11 Supercars drivers' championships, 12 teams' titles, and 10 Bathurst 1000 victories with the likes of Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Will Brown.

2024 recruit Will Brown added to the team's remarkable record this season, claiming his maiden Repco Supercars Championship victory in his debut season at Banyo after a historic season claim podiums at every event.

Rex Devantier, a long-time associate of Triple Eight part-owner Tony Quinn, is set to replace Dane in 2025.

Earlier this year, Triple Eight confirmed a strategic new ownership change, with Earl Evans and Steve Blackmore purchasing Jessica Dane’s 30 percent share of the team.

Evans and Blackmore currently hold the CEO roles of their respective businesses, Shaw and Partners Financial Services and Southern Cross Truck Rentals.

Amid the new ownership, which was announced in July, Tony Quinn retained his 40 percent equity stake in the team, Jamie Whincup remained Managing Director and Team Principal, and Roland Dane continued as non-executive chairman.

Monday's news ensures the Dane family no longer holds an executive or financial role in the team.

Dane penned an open letter to those who have been associated with Triple Eight's Supercars program this morning, which reads as follows:

Open Letter from Roland Dane

Friends, Colleagues, Partners.

At the end of 2021, as I stepped aside from the role of Managing Director and Team Principal, I agreed with the shareholders of Triple Eight that I would carry on as non­executive Chairman of the company for at least 12 months.

Now, three years later, I feel that it is time for me to move on from this truly incredible chapter of my life, and stand down from that position at the end of this year.

Over the last two decades, Triple Eight Race Engineering has established itself as the best and most successful professional race team in Australian motorsport history. That's for one reason, and one reason alone; specifically, the unbelievable group of high calibre folks who have worked for, and with, T8 during those 20 plus years.

Great people, and great commercial partners, have come, and sometimes gone, throughout that period, and others have been there all through the journey to this day.

Top performing sports teams are built on a blend of culture, passion, and single minded drive. Triple Eight remains the epitome of that today and I am truly as proud of the business now as I ever have been.

I therefore thank, from the bottom of my heart, all those who have worked alongside me over the years and helped create the biggest shelf of trophies the sport has ever seen in this country.

Whilst I am incredibly indebted to a huge number of people, many of whom remain friends, and I am hesitant to call out individuals, there are three stars that can't escape and without whom Triple Eight just couldn't have succeeded, namely;

Ken McNamara, of KRE Race Engines, the unsung hero of Australian motorsport who has built more race, and championship, winning engines than everyone else combined and just continues to get-shit-done whatever happens;

Nuri Paterson, the "mother" of the Triple Eight team since 2005 in her position as Chief Financial Officer and everything else besides! My brick through thick and thin, who truly understood my philosophy that there's only ever two places money can be; in our account or not in our account;

And a certain Craig Lowndes who believed my, highly effective (olt employed and for which I make no apologies), used car dealer spiel back in 2004, and has remained loyal to the team ever since. Without CL, it would have been a hell of a lot harder to create the juggernaut that TS is today. Our first race winner and a Bathurst superstar.

I leave the team in great hands. The shareholder group is the best in the pit lane and more than capable of giving Jamie and the team the support required behind the scenes.

My final formal act as Chairman has been to propose, and endorse, the election of Rex Devantier to that position, effective 1.1.25. Rex has worked with TQ since Big Ben was a wristwatch and is very well qualified to keep the Board in order and on track. He's a behind­the-scenes kind of guy and that's exactly what Triple Eight needs now.

No-one at TS has ever really worked for me, but hundreds have worked with me and come out of the trenches alongside me. The success over the years has been yours as much as it's been mine and you've all made me look better than I really am.

I can only say that it's been an honour and a privilege to be a part of this almost implausible ride, and the memories will remain with me so long as I'm the right side of the turf. Thank you all.

All the very best

RD