Now where would we be without Paul Dumbrell? He’s pretty much part of the furniture here at Red Bull Racing Australia. As the temperature drops, we are quickly reminded that in just over three short months we will be trekking to Sandown Raceway for the start of the Enduro season, where both Alex Premat and Paul Dumbrell join the ranks as co-drivers.
Signing up for his fifth season beside good mate Jamie Whincup, PD will be back in our garages in no time (actually, he already was in Winton) eating our food, drinking our Red Bull and generally up to mischief with his P.I.C (partner in crime) J-Dub. But hey, we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Always one to keep it fresh, here are 10 things you didn’t know about PD.
- I became a Dad this year. My son, Lenny, was born in March. I also have a beautiful fiancée, Rosie.
- My first serious injury and surgery happened when I was 15. I was riding my bike and was involved in a hit and run and ended up in the hospital with two screws in my hip. I’ve had about 12 surgeries since then, but that was the first.
- The best concert I’ve ever been to was Robbie Williams’ Close Encounters concert at Telstra Dome in Melbourne in 2006. I may or may not have sung along to most of it.
- While holidaying in Paris we walked past a nice looking restaurant and asked for a table. We were told a reservation hadn’t shown up so we were able to enjoy a beautiful dinner and had a great night. It was only afterwards that we found out it was 2 Michelin star restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon that has a three-month waiting list. Very lucky!
- I’m determined to climb Mt Everest in the next 10 years. I’m still trying to convince Rosie to come with me, though…
- I absolutely hate spiders and I can move like lightening at the sight of one.
- As a kid, I used to love heading to Timezone on a Sunday afternoon. My favourite game was NBA Jam. I loved it so much that I even tried to buy an old machine a few years ago.
- My biggest pet peeve is people being late. I’m not necessarily the best at being on time, but it annoys me when other people are late.
- I can’t live without… my mobile phone, Red Bull and chocolate. Preferably Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations cold from the fridge. Bull I’ll only eat it as a full row at a time, not just a couple of squares. So I either have to commit to the entire row, or not have any at all. I’m a bit OCD about it.
- I have my friend, Will Davison, and his love of go-karts to thank for getting me started in racing. Back when I was in high school, my dad, Garry Dumbrell, caught up with fellow driver Richard Davison while we were all holidaying in Queensland at the same time. Richard’s son, Will, was mad about go-karts so we all went go-karting together. I was pretty much hooked from that moment, and we’re still best mates to this day.
