Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport - inspirational story from 'down under'
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport (LD Motorsport or LDM) is an Australian racing team which competes in the V8 Supercars Championship since 2010. The team is owned by Lucas Dumbrell, a former racing driver whose career was stopped after a horrific accident in the Formula Ford race at Oran Park Raceway in 2008. Dumbrell was badly injured in that accident, which left him a quadriplegic.
In 2009, Dumbrell decided to found his own racing team, simply named Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, with an aim to enter the V8 Supercars Championship in 2010. The LDM purchased a Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) from Tasman Motorsport and bought the first race car, the Holden VE Commodore, from Walkinshaw Racing.
Paul Dumbrell and Lucas Dumbrell in 2010
Seven drivers in debut season
The team had an eventful debut season, with seven drivers changing in the cockpit of #30 Holden. Daniel Gaunt was the first driver under contract with LD Motorsport. He left the team after eight rounds, being shortly replaced by Cameron McConville.
As McConville was unavailable for endurance races, the team announced Nathan Pretty and Mark Noske as the drivers at Phillip Island and Bathurst. For the Gold Coast 600, the rules required an international driver, so Scott Pruett was driving along Nathan Pretty. Finally, Warren Luff joined the team for the last three rounds of the championship. After all those changes, LDM finished 17th in the final standing among 18 teams.
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport was running the #30 Holden for three seasons
Warren Luff as a full-time driver in 2011
Warren Luff remained with the team in 2011, spending a full season in the #30 Holden VE Commodore. Nathan Pretty was a co-driver in endurance races at Phillip Island and Mount Panorama, while Marino Franchitti joined the team at Gold Coast 600.
At Bathurst 1000, Luff and Pretty finished in the 15th place, what was Luff’s best result during a season. He finished 28th in drivers’ standings while the team was in the 18th place among 18 teams.
Taz Douglas joined LD Motorsport for the first time in 2012
Taz Douglas as the main driver in 2012
For the 2012 V8 Supercars season, Luff was replaced by Taz Douglas in the #30 car. The team purchased a fresh Holden VE Commodore, built by Triple Eight and previously ran by Paul Morris Motorsport. Douglas finished 26th in the points, after scoring 12th place as his best result.
Scott Pye joined the team at Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. Mike Conway was Douglas’ co-driver at Gold Coast 600. In the teams’ championship standings, the team finished in the last place again.
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport’s #80 and #88 Holdens in 2013
Two-car team in the 2013 V8 Supercars season
In 2013 V8 Supercars season, the Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport team expanded to two cars, with two new Holden VF Commodores built by Triple Eight. Dean Fiore and Scott Pye were signed as full-time drivers of the #80 and #88 cars.
Scott Pye had an accident at Tasmania’s race, missing the next round at New Zealand. With the sixth place as the best result, at Bathurst 1000 together with Paul Morris as a co-driver, Pye finished 27th in the final standings. Dean Fiore was 24th at the end of the season. His best result during the season was the ninth place. In endurance races, he was sharing the #88 car with Matt Halliday.
Russell Ingall was driving #23 Holden for LD Motorsport in 2014
Russell Ingall improved best results for the team
In 2014, LD Motorsport was a single-car entry again, with Russell Ingall in the #23 Holden VF Commodore. Ingall improved the team’s best result, finishing fourth in the first race of Tasmania 400 at Symmons Plains Raceway. In endurance races, Ingall’s co-driver was Tim Blanchard.
At the end of the season, Russell Ingall finished 18th in the points, what was also the best result for the team in five years of existence. In the teams’ standings, LDM finished 14th in the points among 16 teams.
In 2015, LD Motorsport was running #3 and #222 Holdens
Paul Dumbrell as a replacement in brother’s team
Another change of drivers line-up followed in 2015 when Tim Blanchard and Nick Percat were signed to drive #3 and #222 Holdens. Tim Blanchard spent an entire season in the #3 car, sharing it with Karl Reindler in endurance races. Blanchard finished 21st in the final standings.
Nick Percat finished 22nd in the points, but he didn’t participate in all races. After the Gold Coast 600, where he was sharing the #222 car with Oliver Gavin, Percat missed the last two rounds because of a foot injury. At Phillip Island, Lucas Dumbrell’s older brother Paul Dumbrell was a replacement. In the last round, Jack Perkins was driving the #222 Holden.
Nick Percat – 2016 Clipsal 500 winner
Maiden LDM’s victory at 2016 Clipsal 500
In the 2016 V8 Supercars season, Nick Percat remained in the #222 Holden, with Andre Heimgartner replacing Blanchard in the #3 car. In the season-opening Clipsal 500 at Adelaide Street Circuit, Percat scored a sensational victory in Sunday’s race, the first ever V8SC victory for the team.
Bathurst 1000 podium for LD Motorsport
Later in the season, Nick Percat reached a podium at Bathurst 1000. Together with Cameron McConville as a co-driver, he finished in the third place. At the end of the season, Percat finished 18th in the points.
Andre Heimgartner finished 25th in the points, the last among full-time drivers. In endurance races, Heimgartner’s co-driver was Aaren Russell.
Alex Rullo in #62 LDM Holden VF Commodore at 2017 Clipsal 500
LDM signs the youngest ever Supercar driver
For the 2017 V8 Supercars season, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport signed Alex Rullo as the full-time driver in their #62 Holden VF Commodore. The 16-year-old driver from Perth became the youngest ever full-time driver in a history of the V8 Supercars Championship.
The team planned to sign another youngster, the 23-year-old Matt Chahda, to drive the #3 car, but he didn’t get a racing license from CAMS, so LDM hired Taz Douglas again.
Photos: ldmotorsport.com.au/Ben Auld, dailytelegraph.com.au, speedcafe.com,
