Jamie Whincup becomes Triple Eight shareholder

Seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup has taken the first step into team ownership after becoming a share-holder in Triple Eight.

Whincup has raced with the team since 2006 and has taken all of his championship titles whilst at the wheel of Triple Eight-run machines, with 113 victories including four at the Bathurst 1000.

The 35-year-old is currently contracted to race one of the Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodores until the end of the 2019 season at least but said the decision to invest in the team was made with one eye on the future.

“The guys and girls at Triple Eight are like family to me and if it’s my choice, I will keep racing with them until I am 80 years old,” he said. “My motivation to be a team owner has risen from the fact I simply love the concept of motorsport. I want to ensure that I’m still racing well after my driving career.

“While my focus during the next two seasons is to drive the race cars to the absolute best of my ability, I look forward to investing my spare time into learning the Triple Eight and Supercars business. We proudly display the Peter Brock trophy at our headquarters and focus on the fight to retain the drivers’ championship trophy.

“I thank Roland [Dane] and the management of Triple Eight and the current sponsors for accepting my proposal to be a shareholder and I promise I won’t let you down,”

Co-founder and managing director Dane made the move from the British Touring Car Championship with the support of then co-owners Derek Warwick, Ian Harrison and Peter Butterly back in 2003 before assuming full control, with Whincup joining a number of new investors who have come onboard in recent years.

“Jamie has proved over the years that he is a team player and has Triple Eight’s best interests at heart,” he said. “Just as in racing, it’s vital in business to be planning ahead for every scenario and the boys and girls here at Triple Eight recognise that he potentially has a lot to offer in this respect.

“Jamie and I have been working on a plan for him to come into the business side of the team for a few years, so to see this start to come to fruition now is very satisfying. I’ve no doubt he’ll put every effort into learning as much as he can about the running of Triple Eight to make sure that his contribution is valuable.”