Paul Dumbrell

V8 Supercar Driver


Name = Paul Dumbrell
Nationality = flagicon|Australia Australian
Car number = 16
Team = HSV Dealer Team
Championships = 0
Races = 81
Wins = 0
Podiums = 0
Poles = 0
2007 Championship position = 23rd (69 pts)

Paul Dumbrell (born September 1, 1982 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), is an Australian V8 Supercar driver. He resides in Melbourne, Australia, and races for the HSV Dealer Team in the V8 Supercar series. He was educated at Xavier College in Kew, Melbourne.

Racing history

His first race was in karts in 1996 and by the end of 1997 Dumbrell 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 Dumbrell had his first taste of a racing car, a Formula Vauxhall. At age 15 he was the youngest in the class and even though he was the 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 injury prevented him from racing for 8 weeks and put an end to any chance of running a Formula Ford. At the end of 1998 he entered his first production 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, Dumbrell 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 Park. When he returned back to Australia he took up a permanent driving spot in the Konica V8 Supercar Development Series.

2001 saw Dumbrell consistently at the front in the Konica Series with race wins, pole positions and the title well within his grasp - however he did not win the championship in 2001. He won the Konica V8 Supercar Development Series Championship in 2002.

2002 saw 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 2-year deal with the Castrol Perkins Motorsport Team for 2003 and 2004.

In 2005, Dumbrell 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.

In 2006, Paul had an exemplary start to the season - driving the number 11 VZ Holden Commodore to his best ever championship finish. He finished 5th at Bathurst and was in reach of podium until mechanical problems and a mechnical black flag was shown to them after oil was starting to trickle out of the car.

Current standings

For the 2007 season, Paul Dumbrell moved from Jack Daniels Racing to Super Cheap Auto Racing (replacing Greg Murphy). He had a poor season due to unreliablity of the SuperCheap/PWR cars. In 2008, he joined the HSV Dealer Team and partnering 2006 Champion, Rick Kelly

Racing statistics

*TOTAL RACE STARTS: 47
*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

Career result

References

External links

* [http://pauldumbrell.com.au Paul Dumbrell official site]
* [http://www.hsvdt.com.au HSV Dealer Team]