Jim Dunn Racing - Driver Paul Lee

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Driver Paul Lee As a driver, Paul contributes nearly 30 years of drag racing and driving experience. At age 13, Paul attended a drag race at Atco Raceway near his hometown in New Jersey. “It was that day I witnessed Funny Car legend “Jungle Jim” Liberman do a full track burnout, back up at over 50 mph, then beat the guy in the other lane... that just blew me away! I knew right then what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Since that day, Paul has dedicated his life to reaching his drag racing goal: To one day win an NHRA Funny Car World Championship.

Since his first trip down the quarter mile at age 17, Paul has driven many different race cars, starting with a 15 second Plymouth Duster and then working his way down the ET ladder to his first funny car at age 30. Paul learned to drive a funny car on “Nitro” Nick Boninfante’s east coast funny car circuit. “In those days, we raced nearly every weekend, sometimes 2 or 3 times in the same week. It was a terrific learning experience for a driver racing as much as we did at nearly every track in the Northeast.”

With the importance of education as a priority, Paul graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, has two post-graduate degrees in business and law (MBA & JD) from Rutgers University, and is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association.

Paul is also the Executive Director of the Science of Racing, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting to teens nationwide the importance of making positive choices in life by not choosing drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or other at-risk behaviors and the importance of staying in school and finishing their education. Through the Foundation’s “Racers for Education” Program, Paul and the Science of Racing team visit schools nationwide giving presentations to students about the importance of finishing their education.

Personal

Date of birth: Sept. 16, 1957

Hometown: Ewan, N.J.

Marital Status: Single

Height/Weight: 5’6”, 155 lbs.

College degrees include: BBA Summa Cum Laude from the Wharton Business School of the Univ. of Pennsylvania, and an MBA and JD from Rutgers University

Hobbies: road cycling, physical fitness, golf, reading, promoting education to youth

Expert skydiver with 1,500-plus jumps in 18 years

Career Highlights

Career Best E.T.: 4.803

Career Best Speed: 318.17

2009: Set to drive the CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods/Lucas Oil/WileyX Chevrolet for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season

2005: Completed Nitro Funny Car license upgrade and competed in 4 NHRA national events.

2004: Finished 10th in NHRA national TA/FC standings. Won three national events out of four national event final rounds with 5.57 ET @ 259.56 mph best.

2003: Finished 4th in Division 2 TA/FC final standings.

2002: Finished 4th in Division 1 TA/FC final standings.

2001: Won TA/FC at Delmar Delaware LODRS Division 1 race. Finished 4th in Division 1 TA/FC final standings.

1994-1999: Returned to graduate school, earning 2 graduate degrees

1991-1993: Competed in selected TA/FC match races.

1989-1990: Competed extensively with own team in Northeast match race circuit in TA/FC and selected NHRA national events.

1988: Bought first TA/FC and obtained license at home track at Englishtown, N.J. Raced extensive match race circuit in Northeast U.S.

1981-1985: Raced Super Pro Camaro at Atco, Englishtown, and Maple Grove.

1976-1977: Raced Mom’s Plymouth Duster at Atco Dragway on Friday nights.