ROLAND Dane will return to the Supercars paddock in 2026 as PremiAir Racing’s new team principal.
V8 Sleuth broke the news in February that Dane had begun advising PremiAir, having resigned as chairman of Triple Eight – the championship-winning juggernaut he founded – at the end of last year.
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More broadly, Dane is said to have been influential in helping General Motors plot its course in the wake of Triple Eight announcing its Ford defection.
From January 1, 2026, he’ll switch from pulling strings behind the scenes to being on the frontline, at the helm of the Peter Xiberras-owned team which is coming off a Bathurst 1000 breakthrough.
One of the most powerful leaders Australian motorsport has seen, Dane’s appointment to a more prominent role is a serious coup for PremiAir whose most recent efforts to bolster the hierarchy by naming Gwyn Dolphin as CEO proved short-lived.
“I have come to know Roland over quite a few years and I have always admired what he created with his racing empire,” said Xiberras.
“The first time we met was in 2019 when I purchased my first Triple Eight car and he has been someone that I have highly respected ever since.
“This year we have been working with Roland on some projects for PremiAir Racing and having him go from a consultancy role to full-time will be a great opportunity for our team.
“The knowledge, expertise, and work ethic that Roland brings to the table is simply immense and having built Triple Eight into a championship-dominating powerhouse, the decision to have him as our team principal is something that just makes sense from every angle.
“I am looking forward to continuing to work with Roland in this new capacity in the new year, and to see what we can achieve together as we look to move PremiAir Racing up the grid.”
Pic: Supplied
Dane voiced his enthusiasm at tackling the project of overseeing a new empire’s rise.
“I have known Peter for a number of years now and I have been following closely how things had been going with PremiAir Racing for quite some time, even before I started with the team in a consulting role this year,” said Dane.
“Working with the team this year has allowed me to really get a deep understanding of how the team operates and how they all work together; there are definitely some good points with this team but also room for improvement which I’m keen to get involved with next year.
“I have Peter’s 100 percent commitment about making sure that the potential this team has is realised and I am greatly looking forward to the challenge as team principal in 2026. I would like to thank Peter and the team for welcoming me.”
Currently in its fourth season, PremiAir is Supercars’ newest team.