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Paul Dumbrell says that he is eager to fight for the Super2 Series title amid news of a possible clash between the final round and birth of his second child.
The 2002 Dunlop Super2 Series winner returned to the Supercars’ second tier in 2014 in order to gain racing miles for his Pirtek Enduro Cup campaign as co-driver to Triple Eight’s Jamie Whincup.
Victory and a third place finish at Sandown last weekend sees Dumbrell hold a 49 point lead over Todd Hazelwood ahead of the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 finale (November 24-26).
The 35-year-old insists that winning the series for a third time, having racked up another in 2014, remains a strong desire in itself.
“I went into the Super2 Series to win the series,” he told Speedcafe.com.
“Clearly one of the key benefits is getting the miles for the enduro campaign and if I wasn’t racing the enduros I wouldn’t be racing the Super2, so they do go hand-in-hand.
“We’ve shown this year that it’s been a really hard-fought battle and both Todd (Hazelwood) and I have had good and bad luck throughout the year.
“Obviously he had a tough round on the weekend and likewise we did at Townsville as well, sort of getting involved in other people’s accidents.
“That’s motorsport, isn’t it? That’s why it’s a championship and that’s why it’s fought so hard.
“It would mean a lot to win it, and by default it would mean a lot to lose it, whether we lost it on-track or we lost it by not being there. It’s a big thing to consider.”
Dumbrell, who regained the series lead at Sandown after losing it to Hazelwood in Townsville, says that a decision on his participation will be made closer to the date but is hopeful a clash will not eventuate.
“The baby’s actually due on the Sunday but our first baby was born two weeks early,” he explained.
“Based on speaking to a few doctors and whatnot, generally they come early the second time around and hopefully since our first one came early as well, we won’t be having an issue at all.
“You have to plan all circumstances but it’s going to be a call we’ll make very, very close to the race.”
Should he not start in Newcastle, it would be the second straight year that Dumbrell misses the final round after a shoulder injury ruled him out of last year’s Sydney Olympic Park round.
On that occasion, however, he was a clear outsider to win the title given that he trailed eventual series winner Garry Jacobson by exactly 300 points, the equivalent of a perfect round, prior to the Sydney weekend.
Dumbrell also missed a race at Barbagallo in 2014 after leaving mid-weekend due to business commitments, but still went on to win the title in that season.
The Dunlop Super2 Series continues with a non-points 250km enduro at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.
