The end of Paul Dumbrell’s V8 Supercars career might be closer than many think, with the 30-year-old considering ending his 10-year stint in the category after next month’s Bathurst 1000.
Dumbrell retired from his full-time V8 Supercars career at the end of last season to concentrate on his growing endevours in the business world.
After playing an instrumental role in the sale of his family-owned business to Metcash Limited two months ago, Dumbrell will assess his commitment to V8 Supercars competition after, and not before, this October’s Bathurst 1000.
“I’m not committing to anything,” Dumbrell told Speedcafe.com of his future beyond next month’s 1000.
“I just want to get through these endurance races. I have no pre-conceived ideas long-term.
“I’ll try and give myself the best opportunity to be able to do it for the next 10 years, but I just really want to take it year by year.
“There’s a lot of other challenges in my life, so I want to do whatever I can to do them to the best of my ability.
“If I can do my corporate career, as well as motor racing, then that’s great, but I will certainly never go into a year where the commitment that I can offer wasn’t a valuable thing. If I feel I can’t give them the commitment, I’ll be the first to put my hand up and step aside.”
Dumbrell’s thoughts of full-time retirement began in 2008 – the year his younger brother Lucas become a quadriplegic in a horrifying Formula Ford accident. It was around a similar time that his father Garry was diagnosed with cancer.
Having just turned 30, Dumbrell is now considering what other ventures he can achieve in life – even if it might not please those closest to him …
“The biggest critic of myself stopping my motor racing career was my father,” Dumbrell admitted.
“He was the most disappointed about it, and him reading this, with me contemplating that I won’t even do the enduros (beyond this year), he probably won’t be too happy.”
Sports betting agencies have rated Dumbrell and V8 title leader Whincup as the event favourites heading into the Dick Smith Sandown 500 this weekend.
For more, see Speedcafe.com’s exclusive interview with Paul Dumbrell inside the Sandown 500 Race Guide, below.
