Paul Dumbrell
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Paul Dumbrell (born 1st September 1982), is an Australian V8 Supercar driver.
He currently resides in Melbourne, Australia, and races for the Jack Daniels Racing Team in the AVESCO V8 Supercar series. He was educated at Xavier College in Kew, Melbourne.
His first race was in karts in 1996 and by the end of 1997 Paul was looking to further his racing. He competed in the Australian Sprint Kart National Championships in April 1998 and then went to England to the Jim Russell International School of Racing. During the course Paul had his first taste of a racing car, a Formula Vauxhall. Even though at age 15 he was the youngest and fastest graduate from the school, he was ineligible for the final race, for which drivers had to be 16.
On returning to Australia he looked to do a couple of races in Formula Ford but broke his hip when hit by a car while training on his mountain bike. This put him out for 8 weeks and put an end to any chance of running a Formula Ford. At the end of 1998 he entered his first Touring Car race, the GT Production three-hour at Bathurst in a Subaru WRX, but luck was not on his side as his race ended with mechanical failure. For the 1999 season he drove a Formula Holden in the Australian Drivers Championship, and had his first taste of the V8 Supercar series in August 1999 at Symmons Plains, Tasmania.
After a full year's experience in a Formula Holden, Paul had the chance to test a Formula 3000 car with Mark Webber for Paul Stoddart's Arrows Team, driving 20 laps in the car at Donington. When he returned back to Australia he fell into a permanent driving spot in Konica V8 Supercar Series.
2001 saw Paul running consistently at the front in the Konica Series with Race Wins, Pole Positions and the title well within his grasp - however 2001 was his bridesmaid year as preparation for winning the Konica V8 Supercar Development Series Championship in 2002.
2002 saw Paul Dumbrell picked up by Castrol Perkins Racing's Team Owner Larry Perkins as his co-driver in the Castrol Perkins Holden Commodore at both the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000. At Bathurst that year, Perkins and Dumbrell finished a surprise 5th position overall. That 5th placing helped Dumbrell secure a lucrative 2-year deal with the Castrol Perkins Motorsport Team for 2003 and 2004.
In 2005, Paul achieved his best-ever round result at Symmons Plains, Tasmania - the home of his first ever V8 Supercar start - ending the round in 5th place. 2005 also saw his best ever Driver's Championship placing, finishing in 20th, after placing 29th in 2003 and 24th in 2004.
2005 also saw Paul nominated for Cleo Bachelor of The Year. While he undoubtedly had the number 1 vote for Holden fans everywhere, it wasn't quite enough to secure him the title - but probably a few dates!
So far in 2006, Paul has had an exemplary start to the season - driving the number 11 VZ Holden Commodore to 10th in the current championship standings... for this 24 year old, it would seem that the best is yet to come.
Paul had an excellent drive at the Bathurst 1000, finishing 5th, unlucky not to stand on the podium in the Great Race because of mechanical problems, but is definately showing the form of an up and coming champ with some great drives so far in the 2006 season.
Racing Stats
TOTAL RACE STARTS: 47 TOTAL ROUND STARTS: SHOOTOUT STARTS: Bathurst 1000 - 2004, Sandown 500 - 2004, Placemakers V8 International - 2005 and Tasmania - 2005 BEST TOP 10 SHOOTOUT PLACING: 3rd - Bathurst 1000 - 2004 BEST RACE PLACING: 5th Clipsal 500 - 2005, 5th with Larry Perkins - Bathurst 1000 - 2002 BEST OVERALL PLACING: 5th Tasmania - 2005 CHAMPIONSHIP WINS: Konica Series winner in 2002
NON V8 SUPERCAR ACHIEVEMENTS: 5th 2000 Tasman Cup (Formula Holden) 6th 1999, 2000 Australian Drivers Championship 5th 1997 FMK Victorian Karting Championship
[edit] External links
| Teams contesting the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series | |||||||||
| Stone Brothers Racing | Holden Racing Team | Tasman Motorsport | Ford Performance Racing | Jack Daniel's Racing | WPS Racing | ||||
| 1 Russell Ingall 4 James Courtney |
2 Mark Skaife 22 Todd Kelly |
3 Jason Richards 23 Andrew Jones |
5 Mark Winterbottom 6 Jason Bright |
7 Steven Richards 11 Paul Dumbrell |
8 Max Wilson 10 Jason Bargwanna |
||||
| Team BOC | Toll HSV Dealer Team | Dick Johnson Racing | Paul Cruickshank Racing | Fujitsu Racing | Garry Rogers Motorsport | ||||
| 12 John Bowe 14 Brad Jones |
15 Rick Kelly 16 Garth Tander |
17 Steven Johnson 18 Will Davison |
20 Marcus Marshall | 25 Warren Luff 26 Jose Fernandez |
33 Lee Holdsworth 34 Dean Canto |
||||
| Team Sirromet Wines | Supercheap Auto Racing | Autobarn Racing | Team Betta Electrical | Team Kiwi Racing | |||||
| 39 Alan Gurr 39 Fabian Coulthard 67 Paul Morris |
50 Cameron McConville 51 Greg Murphy |
55 Steve Owen | 88 Jamie Whincup 888 Craig Lowndes |
021 Paul Radisich | |||||
