Dumbrell's team gives Luff a second chance
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday February 11, 2011
ABU DHABI: Today's opening race of the V8 Supercars season at the Yas Marina Circuit will be Warren Luff's first as a full-time driver since 2006, but he is back with plenty to prove driving for Lucas Dumbrell's Gulf Western Oil Racing team.The former V8 rookie of the year was on board with defending champion James Courtney for last year's endurance rounds and seized his opportunity, helping Courtney to secure the title before ending the season on a high with three rounds for Dumbrell.It was enough to earn the 34-year-old a full-time drive with Dumbrell's Holden team, which is in its second season in the championship after a debut year in which Cameron McConville, Mark Noske and Nathan Pretty were among six drivers steering the No.30 entry."It's very hard to get second chances in this industry and I'm here to make the most of it and do the best I can," Luff said. "Lucas has placed his faith in me and I'm out there to do the absolute best I can for him and the team."Dumbrell, 21, who became a quadriplegic in a racing accident at Oran Park Raceway in 2008, is the youngest team owner in the series and said he was thrilled to have Luff on board.Luff said he had developed "a great working relationship with Lucas" and admired his determination to not only stay in the sport, but also his dedication to the team and achieving success at the highest level."He knows how tough motor sport is - he's been around it all his life and for us now it's all about building on the foundations of last year."The one-car operation has just six full-time staff, well below the large-scale V8 teams with bigger budgets and better-known drivers who regularly battle for pole position, podium spots and the prize cheques."We don't have the size or resources of some of the bigger teams but we've certainly got the will to win," Luff said. "The passion is there and Lucas is very motivated to get this team to the front."Four years without a regular drive in the main game has given Luff, who lives in Queensland and works as a stunt driver at Movie World on the Gold Coast, added motivation to get the most from every session he drives."There's no point getting to the end of the year, looking back and having regrets, so from this weekend it's all about doing the absolute best we can," he said. "I feel better prepared than my first time coming into the championship and hopefully, together, we can move this team forward."The 2002 and 2003 V8 Ute Series champion spent 2004 driving for Dick Johnson Racing before a year in the development series, when he finished runner-up. In 2006 he had a full-time V8 seat with Britek and for the past three years he has been an endurance driver in the DJR stable."The goal was always to try and get back into the main game full-time and the enduros were a fantastic platform to get me back where I am today," Luff said. "It's exciting to be here [in Abu Dhabi] and it doesn't take much to be impressed by this place."You look around at the circuit and the facilities - it's an amazing place. What a great way to start the season."When he is not working as a stunt driver in his home town, Luff is a performance car tester for a motoring magazine, a Drive to Survive ambassador, a Porsche driving school instructor and the driving standards adviser for the V8 Ute Series.Last weekend he drove an Audi R8 in the Bathurst 12-hour with three-time V8 Supercars champion Craig Lowndes, who this weekend will again be one of the hardest drivers to beat to the chequered flag."Outside of racing I'm always busy - I'm driving cars every day," Luff said. "It's a pretty hectic schedule but at the end of the day I'm also very lucky - everything I do involves cars and driving, so it's a dream come true."I grew up around cars and driving ... I started driving from a young age and racing from 16, so cars and driving have always been part of my life."Like Dumbrell, Luff's daily life revolves around cars and motor sport and between them they've created a set of goals coming into this season."Our realistic goal is to qualify in the top 15 of the field and have a few top 10 finishes throughout the year," Luff said."Looking at the competition, looking at who you have to beat to qualify in the top 15, there's some very well established teams and some very good drivers we have to beat to achieve those goals."Today's 200-kilometre race will be followed by a second 200km race tomorrow.The series moves to Adelaide next month for the Clipsal 500.2011 at a glanceSeason highlightsYas V8 400 Abu Dhabi February 10-12Clipsal 500 Adelaide March 17-20L&H 500 Phillip Island September 16-18Armor All Gold Coast 600 October 21-23Norton 360 Sandown November 18-20Sydney Telstra 500 December 2-4Recent champions2010: James Courtney (Ford)2009: Jamie Whincup (Ford)2008: Jamie Whincup (Ford)2007: Garth Tander (Holden)2006: Rick Kelly (Holden)
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