Paul Morris (racing driver)
Paul Morris | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1967 Australia |
| Other names | The Dude |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, motorsport team proprietor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Winning Bathurst 1000, Bathurst 6 Hour, Bathurst 12 Hour; champion of Stadium Super Trucks (2017) and Boost Mobile Super Trucks (2021) |
| Notable work | Owner of Paul Morris Motorsport |
Paul "The Dude" Morris (born 22 December 1967) is a prominent Australian racing driver and motorsport team proprietor. He is the owner of Paul Morris Motorsport and actively participates in Queensland's sprint car racing circuit as well as the Stadium Super Trucks, including competing in the Australian Boost Mobile Super Trucks series. Morris clinched the SST championship in 2017 and later secured the Boost Mobile Super Trucks title in 2021.
Alongside Shane van Gisbergen, Morris stands as one of only two drivers to have triumphed in all three premier competitions held at Mount Panorama: the Bathurst 1000, Bathurst 6 Hour, and Bathurst 12 Hour.
Early career
At the age of 19, in 1987, Morris embarked on his racing journey by entering the Queensland Gemini Series, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors and subsequently claimed the state championship the next season. Following this, he competed for three years in Formula Ford.
Morris made his Bathurst debut in 1991 piloting a Toyota Corolla, capturing the Class C championship alongside Geoff Full. In 1992, he joined the BMW Works team and participated in the Australian Touring Car Championship across multiple seasons. Between 1994 and 2000 (except for 1998), he raced in the Australian Super Touring Championship, securing four titles with backing from sponsors such as Benson & Hedges and Diet Coke. During 1994, Morris also competed full-time in the V8 Touring Car Championship driving a Diet Coke-sponsored Holden Commodore and achieved a class win at Bathurst with Altfrid Heger despite suffering a crash during pre-race testing.
In 1998, Morris ventured to the United States to race in the PPG Dayton Indy Lights Championship for PacWest Racing, with his best result being sixth place at Homestead.
V8 Supercars
In 1999, Morris co-drove for Walkinshaw Racing’s Holden Racing Team during endurance events, finishing third at Bathurst alongside Mark Skaife.
Starting from 2000, Morris returned to full-time competition in the V8 Supercar Series under Big Kev sponsorship but endured fractured vertebrae following a severe start-line collision at Oran Park. Demonstrating resilience, he recovered swiftly without missing any races and secured two victories out of three races at Calder Park in 2001, taking the overall round win.
Towards the end of 2008, Morris declared his intention to reduce his full-time driving commitments for 2009, with his team actively seeking a successor for his No. 67 Commodore seat. By 2011, he was competing in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series behind the wheel of an older model Commodore.
Morris achieved his first outright victory at the Bathurst 1000 in 2014 as co-driver to Chaz Mostert for Ford Performance Racing. He had previously crossed the finish line first at the 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000 alongside Craig Baird in a Super Touring BMW 320i but was disqualified due to an infringement related to pit stop regulations.
In 2015, after losing his co-driver role to Cameron Waters, Morris announced his retirement from Bathurst competition but continued racing within the V8 Development Series.
Sprintcars
Within Australian Speedway Sprintcars, Morris drives the KRE-powered No. 67 Supercheap Auto Sprintcar. He earned his inaugural Sprintcar pole position during Round 4 of the KRE Race Engines Track Championship held at Brisbane International Speedway in January 2011 and has recorded heat race victories in World Series Sprintcars. During the 2012/13 season, Morris experienced a significant crash at Archerfield during round six; although uninjured, his vehicle required extensive repairs.
Stadium Super Trucks
Morris made his initial appearance in the Speed Energy Formula Off-Road (Stadium Super Trucks) competition in 2015 at Surfers Paradise, securing third place in his debut race. Later that year, during a doubleheader event, he achieved fifth and second-place finishes, which combined to earn him the overall victory. Throughout 2016, he participated extensively and ended the season fourth in the standings—the highest position attained by a driver without a race win.
In 2017, Morris contested the entire season, claiming three victories across events at Adelaide and Darwin. Although a rib injury sidelined him from the final round at Lake Elsinore Diamond, substitute driver Jerett Brooks accumulated points on Morris’s behalf, allowing Morris to secure the championship by a single point over Matthew Brabham.
In May 2018, the series collaborated with Boost Mobile to broaden its Australian presence, designating Paul Morris Motorsport as the logistics partner for operations within Australia. However, later that year, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) prohibited the series due to safety concerns. Upon SST’s return in 2019 under the Boost Mobile Super Trucks banner, Paul Morris Motorsport’s Norwell Motorplex functioned as its base of operations. Morris competed at Gold Coast, where he led much of the second race but lost victory following a late-race collision.
With the introduction of the Boost Mobile Super Trucks Australian championship in 2020, Morris partnered with Paul Morris Racing Academy driver Luke van Herwaarde to compete as Team Norwell.
The 2021 campaign started positively for Morris, who won two out of three races at Symmons Plains Raceway, then finished runner-up to Shae Davies. This outcome repeated at Hidden Valley Raceway. The season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Morris and Davies tied on points; however, Morris claimed the tiebreaker by virtue of four wins compared to Davies’ two.
Personal life
Known by the nickname "The Dude," Morris adopted this alias after visiting the United States in the 1990s when the term was widely used. His son, Nash Morris, follows in his footsteps as a racing driver competing in both the Super3 Series and Boost Mobile Super Trucks.
Career highlights
- Champion of the Australian Super Touring Championship in 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2000
- Victorious in Bathurst 1000 (Australian Touring Car Championship) Class C in 1991 and Class B in 1994
- Winner of Bathurst 500 (Super Touring) in 1999
- Third place at the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 held at Mount Panorama Circuit in 1999
- Winner of a round at Calder Park Raceway during the 2001 Shell Championship Series
- Third-place finish at the Bathurst 24 Hour event at Mount Panorama Circuit in 2003
- Winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour race in 2007 driving a BMW
- Champion of the 2014 Bathurst 1000 alongside Chaz Mostert
- Winner of the 2017 Bathurst 6 Hour with co-driver Luke Searle
- Champion of the Stadium Super Trucks series in 2017
Career results
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series | 5th | Van Diemen RF89 Ford | Paul Morris |
| 1990 | Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series | 3rd | Van Diemen RF89 Ford | Morgan Vault Racing |
| 1991 | Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series | 5th | Van Diemen RF91 Ford | Speedtech |
| Australian Drivers' Championship | 4th | Shrike NB89H Holden | ||
| 1992 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 9th | BMW M3 Evolution II | Tony Longhurst Racing |
| 1993 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 16th | BMW M3 Evolution II | Tony Longhurst Racing |
| 1994 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 13th | Holden VP Commodore | LoGaMo Racing |
| Australian Manufacturers' Championship | 2nd | BMW 318i | LoGaMo Racing | |
| 1995 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 1st | BMW 318i | Paul Morris Motorsport |
| Australian GT Production Car Series | 5th | BMW M3R | Paul Morris Motorsport | |
| 1996 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 2nd | BMW 318i | Paul Morris Motorsport |
| 1996–97 | TraNZam Championship | 1st | ||
| 1997 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 1st | BMW 320i | Paul Morris Motorsport |
| 1998 | Indy Lights Championship | 21st | Lola T97/20 Buick | PacWest Racing |
| Queensland Gemini Championship | 1st | Holden Gemini Coupe | Paul Morris Motorsport | |
| 1999 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 1st | BMW 320i | Paul Morris Motorsport |
| Shell Championship Series | 37th | Holden VT Commodore | Holden Racing Team | |
| 2000 | Shell Championship Series | 19th | (Holden VS & VT Commodore) | Paul Morris Motorsport |
| 2000–01 | (Australian Super Touring Championship) | align="center" style="background:#ffffbf;" | 1st | (BMW 320i) | (Paul Morris Motorsport) |
| 2001 | (Shell Championship Series) | align="center" |17th | (Holden VT Commodore) | (Paul Morris Motorsport) |
| 2002–2008 | (V8 Supercar Championship Series) | varied (19th–35th) | (Holden VX–VE Commodores) | (Paul Morris Motorsport) |
| 2009–2011 | (Fujitsu & V8 Supercar Series) | varied (8th–43rd) | (Holden VZ & VE Commodores) | (Paul Morris Motorsport) |
| 2012–2014 | (V8SuperTourer & International V8 Supercars Championships) | varied (12th–57th) | (Holden VE Commodore & Ford FG Falcon) | (Paul Morris Motorsport, AV8 Motorsport, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Ford Performance Racing) |
| 2015–2016 | (V8 Supercars Dunlop & Kerrick Sports Sedan Series; Stadium Super Trucks) | varied (3rd–14th) | (Ford FG Falcon, MARC Cars, Stadium Super Truck) | (Paul Morris Motorsport, MARC Cars Australia, UFD Racing) |
| 2017–2021 | (Stadium and Boost Mobile Super Trucks) | champion in both series (2017,2021) | (Stadium Super Truck) | (UFD Racing, Team Norwell) |
Full Bathurst 1000 Race Results
* Denotes a race run under the Super Touring regulations
Indy Lights Performance
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Overall Rank | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | PacWest Lights | MIA 6th |
LBH 20th |
NZR 22nd |
STL 18th |
MIL 24th |
DET 13th |
POR 7th |
CLE 19th |
TOR 20th |
MIS Withdrew |
TRS 9th |
VAN 20th |
LAG | FON | 21st | 18 |
Bathurst 24 Hour Complete Results
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Vehicle | Category | Laps Completed | Final Position | Class Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Prancing Horse Racing Scuderia | John Bowe Brad Jones John Teulan |
Ferrari 360 N-GT | 1 | 96 | Did Not Finish (DNF) | DNF |
| 2003 | John Teulan Racing | Peter Fitzgerald John Teulan Scott Shearman |
Porsche 996 GT3 RC | A | 515 | 3rd Overall | 3rd in Class |
Bathurst 6 Hour Event
| Year | Team Name | Co-drivers | Car Model | Class Category | Number of Laps | Final Standing | Class Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | David Searle Racing | Luke Searle Barry Graham |
BMW M135i | A1 | 0 | Did Not Finish (DNF) | DNF |
| 2017 | Roadchill Freight Express | Luke Searle | BMW M135i Hatch F20 | A1 | 113 | 1st Overall | 1st in Class |
| 2021 | Miedecke Motorsport | George Miedecke Brodie Kostecki |
Ford Mustang GT | A2 | 120 | 6th Overall | 1st in Class |
Supercars Championship Performance
(Races highlighted in bold signify pole positions; italics denote fastest laps)
NASCAR Camping World West Series
(key) (Bold – Pole position earned through qualifying time. Italics – Pole awarded by points or practice standings. * – Driver leading the most laps.)
| NASCAR Camping World West Series performance record | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Manufacturer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | NCWWSC | Points | ||||
| 2008 | Dick Midgley Racing | 09 | Chevrolet | AAS | PHO | CTS | IOW | CNS | SON 27 |
IRW | DCS | EVG | MMP | IRW | AMP | AAS | Finished 71st | 82 | ||||
Stadium Super Trucks
(key) (Bold – Pole winner. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)
| Stadium Super Trucks competition results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | SSTC | Points Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | ADE | ADE | ADE | STP | STP | LBH | DET | DET | DET | AUS | TOR | TOR | OCF | OCF | OCF | SRF 3 |
SRF 5 |
SRF 5 |
SRF 2* |
SYD 5 |
LVV | LVV | Ranked 11th | 113 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" | ADE |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" | ADE |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" | ADE |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" | STP |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | STP |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | LBH |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" | LBH |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | DET |
style="background:#FFFFFF;" | DET |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | DET |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" | TOW |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | TOW |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TOW |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | Charlotte Motor Speedway#CLT |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | Charlotte Motor Speedway#CLT |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" | OC Fair & Event Center#OCF |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | OC Fair & Event Center#OCF |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit#SRF |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit#SRF |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit#SRF |
Finished in 4th place | 386 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2017 Stadium Super Trucks results] |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" |Adelaide Street Circuit#ADE |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Adelaide Street Circuit#ADE |
style="background:#FFFFBF;" |Adelaide Street Circuit#ADE |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" |Grand Prix of St. Petersburg#STP |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" |Grand Prix of St. Petersburg#STP |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" |Grand Prix of Long Beach#LBH |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Grand Prix of Long Beach#LBH |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" |Barbagallo Raceway#PER |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Barbagallo Raceway#PER |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" |Barbagallo Raceway#PER |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix#DET |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix#DET |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Texas Motor Speedway#TEX |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" |Texas Motor Speedway#TEX |
style="background:#FFFFBF;" |Hidden Valley Raceway#HID |
style="background:#CFEAFF;" |Hidden Valley Raceway#HID |
style="background:#FFFFBF;" |Hidden Valley Raceway#HID |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |Beijing National Stadium#BEI |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" |Watkins Glen International#GLN |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" |Watkins Glen International#GLN |
Lake Elsinore Diamond#ELS |
<style = " background : #FFFFBF ;" > 1st place |
<style = " background : #FFFFBF ;" > 546 points |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| [2018 Stadium Super Trucks results]
[
[
Lake Elsinore Diamond # ELS ]
]
|
8th |
249 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2019 Stadium Super Trucks results]
[ [Circuit of the Americas # COA ]] [ [Circuit of the Americas # COA ]] [ [Texas Motor Speedway # TEX ]] [ [Texas Motor Speedway # TEX ]] [ [Grand Prix of Long Beach # LBH ]] [ [Grand Prix of Long Beach # LBH ]] [ [Honda Indy Toronto # TOR ]] [ [Honda Indy Toronto # TOR ]] [ [Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course # MOH ]] [ [Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course # MOH ]] [ [Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course # MOH ]] [ [Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course # MOH ]] [ [Road America # ROA ]] [ [Road America # ROA ]] [ [Road America # ROA ]] [ [Portland International Raceway # POR ]] [ [Portland International Raceway # POR ]] <style = " background : # CFEAFF ;" > [ [Surfers Paradise Street Circuit # SRF ]]
{ { small | 8 }} ] <style = " background : # DFDFDF ;" > [ [Surfers Paradise Street Circuit # SRF ]]
{ { small | 2 * }} ] colspan=3 |
14th |
38 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
colspan=45 |
< small > < sup > † </ sup > – Note: Points credited to Morris though truck driven by Jerett Brooks </ small > | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boost Mobile Super Trucks
(key) (Bold – Pole position. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)
| Boost Mobile Super Trucks results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | BMSTC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | ADE 6 |
ADE 3* |
ADE 5 |
N/A2 | – | [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | SYM 1 |
SYM 1 |
SYM 2 |
HID 1 |
HID 1 |
HID 6 |
TOW 4 |
TOW 6 |
TOW 2 |
1st | 93 | [2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current season underway.
Competition halted following severe injuries sustained by Matt Mingay during lap three.
No official standings available for the 2020 campaign.
External links
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
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- 1967 births
- 24 Hours of Daytona drivers
- Australian sprint car drivers
- Australian Touring Car Championship drivers
- Formula Ford drivers
- Formula Holden drivers
- Indy Lights drivers
- Living people
- People from the City of Latrobe
- Racing drivers from Victoria (state)
- Stadium Super Trucks drivers
- Supercars Championship drivers
- V8SuperTourer drivers
- Bathurst 1000 winners
- People from Morwell, Victoria
- Australian Endurance Championship drivers
- BMW M drivers
- PacWest Racing drivers
- V8 Utes drivers