Legendary sportscar racer Pat Long turns a Porsche 944 into an off-road 'Dirtmeister'
When Pat Long finds something he likes, he tends to stick with it.
Take Porsche and Mobil 1, for example. The legendary sports car racer became the first non-German driver to join Porsche’s Junior development team in 2002, and moved up through the ranks – remaining as the lone American on Porsche’s roster of factory drivers through 2021.
He remains with the company as a brand ambassador and competition advisor to this day.
It’s the same thing with Long’s affiliation with Mobil 1, the leading synthetic motor oil. All his race cars over the years, as well as the five Porsche’s he keeps in his private car collection (from 1958, 1966, 1970, 1986 and 1996), are lubricated exclusively with Mobil 1, an affiliation and loyalty that also is more than two decades old.
“Right from the onset, Mobil 1 was the No. 1 partner of Porsche in my mind as a racing driver,” Long said. “Mobil 1 had set a standard that, for me as a young kid growing up in Southern California, hot rod culture, etc. They've been a part of my career on a racing level all the way through from that point forward. It's never changed.
“So everywhere I look, this is a partnership that has relevance, the product is used, it sets a certain standard. And also, Mobil 1 and Porsche are synonymous as partners and have been since my tenure started two decades ago.”
The Westlake Village, Calif., resident has seemingly done it all – and also seemingly won it all in his racing career, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Bathurst, not to mention countless other races around the world. He’s also a three-time American Le Mans Series champion, a two-time Pirelli World Challenge champ, won nearly 30 IMSA events and numerous endurance races and so much more.
One of the biggest and most fun events Long, Porsche and Mobil 1 are currently involved in is this weekend’s RADwood Rally, which brings together competitors and racing fans for an event in San Pedro, Calif., where they celebrate driving, auto culture and the automobile lifestyle from the 80s and 90s. Attendees not only bring their tricked-out vintage cars, they also dress up in period clothing from that era.
Think of a racing version of the TV show, “That 70s Show”, and you get the idea of what RADwood is.
Long has been looking forward to the event for quite some time, ever since he first participated in it. This year’s event has a particular attraction for Long, as he is displaying his Hot Wheels Mobil 1 “Dirtmeister” Porsche 944 custom build – which has been turned into a popular Hot Wheels toy in conjunction with Mattel, a successor to the 914 Mobil 1 Porsche Hot Wheels pickup that Long designed.
Pat Long and "The Dirtmeister." Photo courtesy Mobil 1 and Hot Wheels.
“It’s off-road, not a 911, something different and this car came to light,” Long said. “Mattel and Mobil 1 are enablers to allow me to live out my wildest thoughts.
“Hot Wheels are a fixture in my life from before I could remember. My first Hot Wheels memories were from when I was around three or four years old. I have my own son now who is eight, and he has barrels and tubs full of Hot Wheels. And so, it's really fun to see the generations of it. The cars create dreams and they make reality out of outlandish wild creations. It's a great inspiration. They're super durable, and they're very cheap.
“So when we build these cars, and I visualized this car (the “Dirtmeister”) becoming a toy, a scale toy, it reaches beyond video games, reaches beyond social media, it gets to countries that don't have those inspiring tools for their youth. There's a really good feel-good movement about inspiring the next generation, no matter what their socio-economic demographic is.”
The 42-year-old Long still competes in select racing events, including those on the Historic Sportscar Racing circuit. And when he does get back behind the wheel, of course, you’ll find him piloting a vintage Porsche of some type.
But driving Porsches is only one part of Long’s involvement these days. Much like RADwood, Long created Luftgekuhlt, a celebration specifically of air-cooled Porsches, unique venues where events are held and also lifestyle elements.
“The founders of RADwood, I got to know because most of them were part of a podcast called “Driving While Awesome” or DWA, and they’re classic Porsche owners who attended my show Luftgekuhlt,” Long said. “They've been enthusiasts and friends in the car community and they speak a language that resonates with all generations of classic car enthusiasts.
“It's part of this movement that some people credit Luftgekuhlt with, which is rethinking your parent’s car shows and making them interactive, making them themed, making them interesting venues that aren't just cars and coffees taking place in strip malls.
“I've been to one event only since they started their events and I'm looking forward to this one and seeing a lot of people that maybe I don't know, or I haven't interacted with, but it fits so perfectly with this car, because of course, it's an ‘87 944 Turbo and I don't think of a more RADwood-esque car than a 944 turbo.”
Long has kind of adopted a mindset typically found in dog and cat breeds, namely, he “fosters” Porsches that eventually make their way to new homes – or like with pets, their “forever homes.”
“Because I work in the industry, most of the cars that I adopt or become sort of the father of temporarily, we're custodians of these cars,” Long said. “I don't find them on market. I've found them through friends of friends, or somebody says, ‘I gotta get out of this car, because I'm starting a business.’
“And so, I end up taking these cars in and then placing them in worthy homes, just on a fun level.”
But of all the cars he’s ever driven, as well as the cars in his own private collection, one car stands out for Long, one that he considers his “daily driver.”
“It's a 1996 Carrera two-wheel drive base model 911 from the mid 90s,” Long said. “I love the car because it drives like a modern car. It's solid, it's fast, but it has the creature comforts of good air conditioning, six-speed manual Synchro box transmission. It does everything.
“But it's a small car, the windows close to the windshields close to your face, you can still reach to the right and touch the passenger door. And it's just agile, it's light on fuel and it just kind of does everything. It's like the one car if I had to choose a car tomorrow, at least from a sports car perspective, that’s THE car.”
And while the ’96 Carrera is Long’s favorite, he’s never strayed far from his Southern California roots. Being such is what makes him who he has been, is and will continue to be – behind the wheel of a Porsche with Mobil 1 in the crankcase, of course!
“Who I am is just a Southern California car kid who got to race the world on five different continents for 20-plus years as a Porsche factory driver,” Long said. “And today, I live my life kind of distilled down to all the things that I loved about being a racing driver, but still being able to sleep in my own bed and watch my kids grow up.
“So doing builds like this car (the Dirtmeister), working with teams from Mobil 1 and Mattel is the type of stuff that I’ve aspired to my whole life. And, you know, I don't take any of it for granted. It's just one day at a time. If the opportunities arise and the phone keeps ringing, then I'm on course.”
For more information on Pat Long, including photos and videos, go to his website: PatrickLong.com.
And check out a gallery of some other photos from Saturday's RADwood Rally (all photos courtesy Pat Long):
Check out 'The Dirtmeister,' the latest innovation from legendary sportscar racer Pat Long
