Paul Dumbrell
Paul Dumbrell | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1982 Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, business leader |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | V8 Supercars driver, CEO of Automotive Brands Group |
Paul Lakeland Dumbrell (born 1 September 1982) is an Australian former professional racing driver and current business leader.
Early career
As the son of ex-driver Garry Dumbrell, Paul entered the karting scene in 1996 and swiftly progressed through the ranks. He attended Xavier College in Melbourne and participated in the 1998 Australian Sprint Kart National Championships. Among various driving programs, he completed training at the Jim Russell International School of Racing in England, where he graduated as the fastest driver despite being the youngest in his class.
After returning to Australia, a mountain biking injury curtailed his aspirations in Formula Ford. His debut in production car racing occurred at Bathurst in 1998; however, mechanical issues forced an early retirement from that race. In 1999, Dumbrell competed in Formula Holden and made his first appearance in the V8 Supercar Championship at Symmons Plains.
Following a test run in a Formula 3000 vehicle alongside Mark Webber for Paul Stoddart’s Arrows team, Dumbrell secured a permanent position in the Konica V8 Supercar Development Series, where he clinched the title in 2002. At just 17 years and 74 days old, he set a record as the youngest competitor to start the Bathurst 1000, driving a Holden VS Commodore.
In 2002, Larry Perkins selected Dumbrell as co-driver for Castrol Perkins Racing during the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000 events, achieving an impressive fifth-place finish overall.
Castrol Perkins Motorsport
Dumbrell’s strong fifth-place finish at Bathurst in 2002 earned him a two-year contract with Castrol Perkins Motorsport for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. His best round result came in 2005 at Symmons Plains, Tasmania—his debut track—where he finished fifth. That year also marked his highest Championship ranking at 20th, improving from previous finishes of 29th in 2003 and 24th in 2004.
In the 2006 season, behind the wheel of the number 11 Holden VZ Commodore, Dumbrell achieved a personal best Championship position of 12th and narrowly missed a podium with a fifth-place result at Bathurst due to mechanical setbacks.
Supercheap Auto Racing
In 2007, Dumbrell transferred to Supercheap Auto Racing, taking over from Greg Murphy. The campaign was hindered by recurring mechanical unreliability; nonetheless, he secured a notable sixth place alongside Paul Weel at the Sandown 500.
HSV Dealer Team
For the 2008 season, Dumbrell joined the HSV Dealer Team, piloting the No. 16 Autobarn Holden Commodore alongside reigning champion Rick Kelly. The team endured a challenging year, with Dumbrell concluding the Championship in 21st position.
Walkinshaw Racing
In 2009, Dumbrell stayed within the Walkinshaw organization as it transitioned into Walkinshaw Racing, which replaced the HSV Dealer Team. He continued competing with an Autobarn-sponsored Holden VE Commodore.
Rod Nash Racing
Dumbrell signed a three-year contract with Rod Nash Racing for the 2010 season, driving their No. 55 "The Bottle-O" backed Ford FG Falcon prepared by Ford Performance Racing. This move marked his first time racing a Ford after many years with Holden machinery.
He achieved his maiden podium finish at the 2010 Falken Tasmania Challenge, followed by his first Championship race victory and pole position at the 2010 Norton 360 Sandown Challenge. On August 8, 2011, Dumbrell announced his decision to retire from full-time competition at season’s end.
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Following his departure from full-time competition, Dumbrell resumed part-time participation in V8 Supercars endurance races starting in 2012. He served as a co-driver alongside seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup for Triple Eight Race Engineering in events such as the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000, and from 2013 onward, the Gold Coast 600.
This collaboration yielded immediate results, with the duo capturing victory at the 2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and then at the 2013 Wilson Security Sandown 500. In 2014, Dumbrell and Whincup clinched the Enduro Cup by achieving the highest combined points across the three endurance races, which included a back-to-back win at the 2014 Wilson Security Sandown 500. Additionally, that year marked Dumbrell’s return to the Dunlop V8 Supercar Development Series, where he earned his second championship title.
Business
Throughout his racing tenure, Dumbrell simultaneously pursued various business interests. Early in his career, he operated a Boost Juice franchise and co-established a media enterprise. Progressing within the family-run Automotive Brands Group, which oversees brands such as Autobarn and Autopro, he was appointed CEO in 2009. The increasing demands of his corporate role played a significant part in his decision to retire from full-time racing in 2011.
In 2012, Automotive Brands was acquired by Metcash, where Dumbrell continued as head of the automotive division and joined the company's executive leadership team. Metcash also owned The Bottle-O, a former sponsor during Dumbrell’s period with Rod Nash Racing. Later, in 2015, Burson Group purchased the business for AU$275 million, with Dumbrell maintaining leadership over the division. Burson’s CEO Darryl Abotomey affirmed that Dumbrell would be able to continue competing as an endurance co-driver while fulfilling his executive duties.
Career Results
Complete Development Series Performance
(Legend) (Bolded race numbers signify pole positions) (Italicized race numbers denote fastest laps)
| Year | Team | Vehicle | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Final Standing | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gibson Motorsport | Holden VT Commodore | WAK 10 |
WAK 1 |
WAK 7 |
ORA 3 |
ORA 7 |
ORA 6 |
WIN 11 |
WIN 2 |
WIN 2 |
PHI 6 |
PHI 3 |
PHI 2 |
LAK 9 |
LAK 1 |
LAK 1 |
MAL 2 |
MAL 17 |
MAL 5 |
2nd | 1190 | |||||
| 2002 | Independent Race Cars Australia | Holden VX Commodore | WAK 1 |
WAK 4 |
WAK 2 |
PHI 1 |
PHI 1 |
PHI 1 |
ORA 1 |
ORA 1 |
ORA 1 |
WIN 1 |
WIN 1 |
WIN 1 |
MAL 1 |
MAL 2 |
MAL 1 |
1st | 1322 | ||||||||
| 2014 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VE Commodore | (ADE) 1st |(WIN) 5th |(WIN) 2nd |(BAR) 1st |DNS (BAR) |(TOW) 2nd |(TOW) 4th |(QLD) 1st |(QLD) 1st |(BAT) 1st |(HOM) 1st |Ret (HOM) | 1st | 1686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VE Commodore | (ADE)|(BAR)|(BAR)|(BAR)|(WIN)|(WIN)|(WIN)|(TOW)|(TOW)|(QLD)|(QLD)|(QLD)|(BAT)|(HOM)|(HOM) | 2nd | 1889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VE Commodore | (ADE)|(PHI)|(PHI)|(PHI)|(BAR)|(BAR)|(BAR)|(TOW)|(TOW)|(SAN)|(SAN)|(SAN)|(BAT)|(HOM)|(HOM) | 7th | 1216 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VF Commodore | (SYM)x4|(PHI)x4|(TOW)x2|(SMP)x4|(SAN)x2|(NEW)x2 | 2nd | 1713 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VF Commodore | (SYM)x3|(BAR)x3|(TOW)x2|(SAN)x2|(BAT)|NEWx2 | 2nd | 1463 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Supercars Championship outcomes
(Races highlighted in bold signify pole positions) (Races shown in italics denote fastest laps)
... [table continues with similar formatting and data for subsequent years and teams] ... }Full Bathurst 1000 race results
| Supercars outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Vehicle | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | Final Position | Total Points | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | John Faulkner Racing | Holden VS Commodore | EAS R1 |
EAS R2 |
EAS R3 |
ADE R4 |
BAR R5 |
BAR R6 |
BAR R7 |
PHI R8 |
PHI R9 |
PHI R10 |
HDV R11 |
HDV R12 |
HDV R13 |
SAN R14 |
SAN R15 |
SAN R16 |
QLD R17 |
QLD R18 |
QLD R19 |
CAL R20 |
CAL R21 |
CAL R22 |
SYM R23 |
SYM R24 |
SYM R25 |
WIN R26 |
WIN R27 |
WIN R28 |
ORA R29 |
ORA R30 |
ORA R31 |
QLD R32 |
BAT R33 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Holden VX Commodore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \ 2012
| | Holden Commodore VE | Template:Flagicon AUSJamie Whincup | style = "background:#ffffbf;" align = center|'\'\'1st\'\ | align = center|'\'161\ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \2013 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore VF |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
style = "background:#dfdfdf;" align = center|'\'\'2nd\'\ |
align = center|'\'161\ |
| 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \2014 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore VF |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
align = center|'5th' |
align = center|'161' |
| 2015 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \2015 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore VF |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
align = center|'18th' |
align = center|'161' |
| 2016 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \2016 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore VF |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
align = center|'11th' |
align = center|'161' |
| 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 \2017 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore VF |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
align = center|'20th' |
align = center|'124' |
| 2018 Bathurst 1000 \2018 |
Triple Eight Race Engineering |
Holden Commodore ZB |
Template:Flagicon AUS Jamie Whincup |
align = center|'10th' |
align = center|'161' |
‡ After an accident damaged Rick Kelly's original car during qualifying, he took over the No.16 vehicle from David Reynolds.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1982 births
- Living people
- Bathurst 1000 winners
- Formula Holden drivers
- Alumni of Xavier College
- Racing drivers originating from Melbourne
- Supercars Championship competitors
- Garry Rogers Motorsport team drivers
- Racing drivers from Victoria (state)