Matt Long Sets His Sights on Winning the NDRA Regional Championship

Apr 26, 2010

Matt Long claims victory at Carolina Speedway

For Matt Long, the fast track to success didn't always include the track. Long grew up in a racing family, but he took a different path to the drivers seat. When he was younger, Long worked for his father Tye, who owned and raced Super Late Models in the Ohio Valley area. Long quickly became involved with the money side of the business, having passed on opportunities to drive while learning marketing and sponsorship. Long went of to college, and eventually landed a job with Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Corporate Sales Department. After settling down in North Carolina, Long decided to jump back into the family side of the business, this time as a driver.

Matt Long's Number 25 Crate Dirt Late Model Car

"I gave up racing cold turkey when I moved to Charlotte," said the now five year veteran of Dirt Late Model racing. "After a year, I didn't know what to do with myself. I decided to buy a Crate Dirt Late Model, it made the most sense financially. I had no driving experience before that."

Long quickly adapted to the fast pace, high horsepower world of dirt racing. He picked up a top five in the Fastrak Southeast Regional points in 2008, and improved into the national spotlight with a top 15 in the Fastrak National points last season.

Last week Long picked up the third main event win of his career at Carolina Speedway. "It's my home track...we always race well there. That race was the first on a new setup, and the car was awesome. We ended up winning by almost a half track," said Long.

This season, Long's team is looking to crash the National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) party. The team has set their sights on winning the NDRA Regional Championship, and they're also shooting for a top three finish nationally. On top of that, Long wants to continue moving up the Fastrak standings. "We'd really like to win five to ten main events this year. That would be a lot easier if we didn't run all of the touring series. The competition there is much stiffer."

Long's crate engine car is considered an economy racer. The crate motor allows racers to focus more resources on the suspension and driveline, and focus less on the motor itself; But Long cautions not to be fooled. "Most people think running a crate motor means no engine work whatsoever. K&N Filters help my motors last much longer than some of the guys I race with. I buy my motors from Heintz Performance, and the first time I ever had on rebuilt, they called and told me they'd never seen the inside of one so clean before. We use K&N Filters on the air cleaner, valve cover breathers, transmission breathers, rear end breathers, and fuel cell breathers. I have never once had a mechanical breakdown because of clogged breathers or dirty motor oil. The best thing about K&N Filters: they're easy to clean, and that's a big plus on dirt."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

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