Speedway: Nationals a family affair

DAD'S ADVICE: Hawke's Bay's Jason Long gets some advice from his father Murray before one of his practice drives at Meeanee yesterday. PHOTO/GLENN TAYLOR HBT134422-02

Lucky omens have been a hot topic in the Long family's household in the build-up to this weekend's New Zealand Superstock championship at Meeanee.

It's easy to see why too. Hawke's Bay driver Jason Long claimed he was the lucky omen when he attended the Motocross of Nations in Germany back in October.

His brother and motocross mechanic Jeremy Long, was a member of Team Belgium which won the prestigious event which is "the Olympics of Motocross". Long is hoping his brother, who is home on holiday from Europe, will repay the favour when he joins the 6800-plus crowd expected at Hauraki Meeanee Speedway tonight and tomorrow night. "That's the plan. I'm sure he will give me some tips as well as a bit of banter," Long said with a laugh after a successful practice session yesterday.

Long, 21, who is in his third full season in the superstock ranks after five seasons as a ministock driver has already had his share of luck in the build-up to the BJs Bakery & Cafe Hastings-sponsored nationals. He has got to race in the nationals by default.

Long shares drives of his father Murray's new V8 Nissan-powered car with former 3NZ Murray who has been out of action for most of this season with a bout of pancreatitis.

"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.