It has been revealed that Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen is in a relationship with Jessica Dane, who is one of the owners of his Triple Eight Racing team.
The 33-year-old, famed for being a man of few words, has - according to Wide World of Sports - been seeing Dane for several months and has the support of the team, despite the potential for professional conflicts.
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Dane, who is the daughter of Triple Eight Racing co-founder Rolan Dane, first bought into the team in 2017 - a year after van Gisbergen signed as a driver - and upped her stake to a 30 per cent share after her father stepped down from operations in 2021.
Dane now owns the second-highest stake in the team behind VIP Petfoods founder Tony Quinn, who owns a 40 per cent cut. Her father still owns 11 per cent while former driver and current team boss Jamie Whincup owns a 19 per cent share.
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Dane's role with the team is not confined to ownership either. Her official title is Commercial Operations Manager, in which she oversees the team's day-to-day operations, partnerships, sponsorships, HR and legal.
Despite her heavy involvement with the team and an impending contract expiry from van Gisbergen - it is understood that he comes off contract at the end of the 2023 season - the team is not concerned about their relationship.
According to Wide World of Sports, the couple are an "open secret" on the circuit but are reluctant to talk publicly about the details of the relationship; however Dane specified in recent weeks that the pair are not engaged.
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Van Gisbergen's social media channels are dominated by his motor racing career, however Dane has shared at least one glimpse into their world as part of her role accompanying van Gisbergen on the Australasian rally circuit this year.
Dane also reportedly accompanied van Gisbergen to France for his debut in the Le Mans 24-hour race in which he finished fifth in his class.
Despite the lack of public affection from the pair, their suitability as a pair at least seems to be evident on the racing track where van Gisbergen is in the midst of a record-breaking season for the team. The Kiwi star just took out his second Bathurst 1000 title and broke Scott McLaughlin’s record for the most race wins in a single season in the process.
- NZ Herald