Triple Eight Race Engineering was established in 1996 in the United Kingdom, where it initially ran Vauxhall's programme in the British Touring Car Championship. In September 2003, the team expanded into Australian V8 Supercars by purchasing the Briggs Motor Sport team, acquiring its custom-built facility in the Brisbane suburb of Bowen Hills and a staff of 35 people. Engineers in Brisbane worked closely with Triple Eight's UK staff to construct new Ford BA Falcons, while team principals secured substantial financial backing from Ford. The team moved to a new facility in Banyo in 2009, and has remained the only Brisbane-based Supercars team throughout its history.
Originally owned by Peter Butterly, Roland Dane, Ian Harrison, and Derek Warwick, Roland Dane gradually assumed majority ownership. In 2015, Dane sold a 30 percent shareholding to Paul Dumbrell, Tim Miles, and Trinette Schipkie, while his daughter Jessica Dane and Jamie Whincup also acquired minority stakes. In 2021, Dane stepped down as team principal in favour of retiring driver Whincup and sold his remaining shares. New Zealand-based businessman Tony Quinn simultaneously purchased a 40 percent share of the team.
The team debuted in the 2003 Sandown 500 and endured a difficult maiden full season in 2004 before a dramatic turnaround in 2005 following the signing of Craig Lowndes and the acquisition of Stone Brothers Racing engines. Lowndes finished second in the 2005 championship, and in 2006 Jamie Whincup joined the team, with the pair winning the Bathurst 1000 together that year.
Whincup became the cornerstone of the team's dynasty. After narrowly missing the 2007 title by two points, he won the drivers' championship in 2008. That season also saw Ford withdraw factory support from all teams except Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing, costing Triple Eight an estimated two million dollars annually from their budget. The team controversially announced a switch to arch-rival Holden ahead of the 2010 season.
Under the Vodafone banner from 2007, and then as Red Bull Racing Australia from 2013, the team continued to dominate. Whincup and Lowndes finished first and second in the 2013 championship as the team transitioned to the new Car of the Future regulations in Holden VF Commodores. Shane van Gisbergen joined as a third full-time driver in 2016 and won the championship in his debut season with the team.
The team rebranded as Red Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017 to 2020, serving as the factory Holden operation and leading development of the ZB Commodore introduced in 2018. Following General Motors' decision to retire the Holden brand at the end of 2020, the team became Red Bull Ampol Racing for 2021 onward, continuing with Holden-badged Commodores through 2022 before transitioning to Chevrolet Camaros for the Gen 3 era in 2023.
Van Gisbergen departed for NASCAR with Trackhouse Racing ahead of 2024, replaced by Will Brown. The team switched back to Ford for the 2026 season, its first time running the blue oval since 2009.
The Bathurst 1000 has been a defining stage for Triple Eight. The team's first Bathurst victory came in 2006 when Lowndes and Whincup shared victory, and the wins have continued steadily across different eras and manufacturer partnerships. Ten Bathurst 1000 victories represent the highest total any team has accumulated across the modern Supercars era.
Notable wildcard entries have added to the Bathurst narrative. The team ran an Xbox One Racing-branded car at the 2013 Bathurst 1000 driven by WRC and touring car stars Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekstrom, who qualified 18th and finished 10th. Craig Lowndes has repeatedly returned as a wildcard co-driver in the years following his full-time retirement from the main series.
Beyond racing its own entries, Triple Eight has established itself as a major chassis supplier in Australian motorsport. The team has built and supplied cars to numerous outfits including Dick Johnson Racing, Paul Morris Motorsport, Tekno Autosports, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Team 18, Matt Stone Racing, and PremiAir Racing. The team also provides ongoing technical support to the Blanchard Racing Team, and conducts its development and testing work at Queensland Raceway.
In the development series, Triple Eight has fielded cars for several drivers including Andrew Thompson, Scott Pye, and Casey Stoner, winning the Super2 Series in 2011. The team re-entered the Super2 programme in 2019 with Brenton Grove and Kurt Kostecki.
Triple Eight Race Engineering represents the benchmark of consistency in Australian touring car racing. The team transformed from a UK-based touring car entrant into the most successful organisation in Supercars history within a single decade of Australian competition. Its ability to remain at the front across multiple manufacturer partnerships, regulatory changes, and driver transitions places it alongside the most accomplished teams in international touring car racing.