Lucas Dumbrell seemed destined for a successful career as a driver in V8 car racing until a crash at Sydney's Oran Park in 2008 changed the then 19-year-old's life forever.

"I remember the day pretty well, and unfortunately remember the accident pretty well as well," Dumbrell told 7.30.

"It just happened at the worst possible part of the track where you kind of go over a rise and you can't see the next corner.

"The guy in front of me has jumped on the brakes and in that split second I have just gone straight over the top of him, kind of almost cart-wheeled, six or seven times, and rolled down an embankment.

"I was squished between the race car and the tyre barrier and compressed my spine, which has ultimately caused the damage.

"[I] damaged the C4 and C5 vertebras, which limits me now to kind of feeling the upper chest upwards and limited movement in my arms and that kind of thing."

Dumbrell is now confined to a wheelchair and his injuries are so severe he needs to be pushed around as he lacks the arm movement to propel the wheelchair himself.

V8 Supercars legend, Mark Skaife, said the motorsport community was shocked by the severity of Dumbrell's injuries.

"Motorsport is incredibly dangerous," Skaife told 7.30.

"We know that there are areas of our sport that you take risks and that's part of going fast in a car.

"But that style of accident is something that was just freakish."

Another life changing moment

A young Lucas Dumbrell in a racing go kart. ( Supplied: Paul Dumbrell )

Motor racing was part of the Dumbrell family.

Lucas' brother Paul was already tasting success in V8 Supercars before the crash, as Lucas progressed through go karts into the Formula Ford division.

"[What] I love about motorsport is the speed and the thrill and the adrenalin and just the whole thing about it," Lucas told 7.30.

He remembers the weeks he spent in hospital after the accident as grim, and said it was many months before he could think about what to do next in his life.

"It was pretty hard at that stage to think of reasons why I wanted continue and press on through that stage," he said.

But months after the crash, he went to Bathurst to watch Paul race, and once again it was life-changing.

"And it was just on that weekend ... I thought ... well, why not start my own team?

"I spoke to my brother about it and my father, and fortunately they were able to help me organise some bits and pieces, and managed to start the team in late 2009 to race in 2010.

"I was a 19-year-old kid at that stage. I had no idea about budgets or staff or anything.

"Now, although I haven't got an accounting degree, I think I'm pretty switched on in the accounts ... I have just learnt by being involved.

"I employ like 20 people now, I'm 26. As well as being a race team, it is a massive business and a very expensive one at that."

Race car driver, Paul Dumbrell.

His brother, Paul, said it was a lot of hard work.

"He requires 24-hour care," he told 7.30.

"Fundamentally he requires help to do everything: to have a drink, to eat, in the morning his daily routine.

"[It's a] battle just to turn up to work every day."

Skaife said the demand as a team owner was massive.

"The week in, week out, demands of operating a team all around the country and overseas," he said.

"You have got to live, sleep, eat and breathe it.

"The leadership aspects, the nurturing of the drivers, the mentoring of the mechanics, the sell of sponsorship."

Dumbrell said that while he loved running his own team, his injuries made operating a business in the highly-competitive world of championship motorsport difficult.

"Sometimes it's frustrating because I just wish I could write an email myself or go grab something myself, but unfortunately I'm not in that situation," he said.

"I do love being involved in racing and having the race team, but at the same time I would love to be driving as well you know, so it's a double edged sword."

A breakthrough win

Lucas Dumbrell with some of his team in the workshop.

Earlier this year all the hard work paid off.

The Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports race team scored its first win at Adelaide's famous street circuit in the Clipsal 500 race in March.

Driver Nick Percat defeated his more fancied rivals in a chaotic, rain-soaked race.

It was a huge confidence boost for the whole team.

"It was a pretty special time," Dumbrell said. "It's such a massive event. Something that I will remember forever."

He is now determined to entrench a winning culture within his team.

"I would really like to kind of aim for more consistency with the guys," he said.

"We are clearly struggling in qualifying.

"I am not looking to get 10 pole positions, but I believe if we can improve our qualifying it will lead to some improved race results."

But he's wary of being held up as something special.

"When people talk about me, you know, being inspirational and that kind of thing, I don't quite feel it that way at all," Dumbrell said.

"I just try to run a business the same as anyone else would.

"Same thing as when I was driving, ultimately winning the V8 supercar championship would be the goal.

"Same thing as a team owner. Right now there's still the same kind of goals in a different kind of way."