"Had I been available this weekend age would have taken over and Jason would have been back on cleaning duties again," Murray, a veteran of 32 years of continuous racing, quipped.
"I've got to prove I deserved to be racing at the nationals and a good result this weekend will see me stay in the seat a bit longer," Long explained.
This will be his second superstock nationals. At his first in Huntly two years ago Long qualified and then rolled in his first championship heat.
"Qualifying is the initial goal this weekend. It's important we just focus on one race at a time," Long said.
"All four groups are pretty even. In all of them there are at least 10 or 12 cars which have a good chance of qualifying."
The Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team's extended training squad member and Hastings Rugby and Sports premier team prop admitted there is more incentive to win this weekend's title because the championship is being raced in front of family and friends on his home track.
"The brother has come a long way and my grandmother, who is a regular at my rugby games but not at speedway, will be making a rare visit out to the track to support me," Long said referring to his grandmother Norma Long.
With three 12-lap heats tonight and three 15 lappers tomorrow night, should his brother deliver, Long, said the high fitness levels gained from being a Magpies training squad member prove beneficial at the business end of each race.
"I still come in covered in sweat at the end of each race but I've definitely noticed a difference since I've been training with the Magpies ... I couldn't be happier with my build-up. The car has got better with each meeting ... Our Meeanee track has been different at each meeting which makes it harder to dial the car in but it's the same for everyone," Long added.
Long will be one of 84 starters in the nationals which begin with qualifying heats tonight. Nineteen of the starters are contracted to the Hawke's Bay club while another four Hawke's Bay-based competitors, defending champion Shane Penn, Andy McCabe, Kenley Brown and Shane Mellsop, are contracted to Palmerston North.
The field has been divided into four qualifying groups. Each group will have three heats tonight and the top six drivers from each group plus the first two in a repecharge heat to be raced tomorrow night will qualify for three championship heats from which points will again be accumulated to determine the overall winner who will pocket $3000.