Teenage talent gets a WRX boost for Adelaide

Young teenage rally talent Jackson Long will take a step up in machinery for the Australian Championship’s Adelaide Hills Rally later in the year and is set to contest the round in a more powerful Subaru WRX.

The teenager has had a stellar debut season in 2025, leading the ARC Junior category whilst sitting second in the Production Cup in his Subaru Impreza RS.

Alongside his father and co-driver Damien Long, the pair will step into Glenn Brinkman’s WRX following the Gippsland round, and add the Subaru challenge (that’s currently led by Toby Price) to his ARC resume.

Following a career-best ARC outright finish of seventh at the Queensland Rally, it will be intriguing to see where the teenager can place the WRX in the Adelaide Hills with the added power at his disposal.

“Glenn’s been incredibly generous, not just with this opportunity but with how much he gives back to the sport,” Long said.

“It means a lot to be trusted with the car, and I’m looking forward to making the most of it.”

Long will get a shot in Brinkman’s WRX come the Adelaide round in August. Image: CH IMAGES AND DAKAR PRESS TEAM AUSTRALIA

With Brinkman having committed to run his Ford Escort Cosworth in the South Australian Rally Championship, it opens the door for Long.

“I’ve been watching him and his dad, and he’s doing all the right things,” Brinkman said.

“He’s running a Subaru RS and doing it step by step, not just getting thrown into the deep end with an outright four-wheel-drive car.

“I’ve got a commitment to Subaru to have the WRX Challenge cars at every round of the ARC. Since I can’t drive this one in Adelaide, it made perfect sense to hand it over to someone like Jackson. I couldn’t think of anyone better.”

And with Toby Price expected to sit out the Adelaide Hills Rally in his WRX, there’s a good chance Long can add yet another class trophy to his already sensational season where he has a 90-point lead over Jaidyn Gluskie in the J-ARC, whilst he sits just 9 points behind Clayton Hoy in the competitive Production Cup field.

Before the penultimate Adelaide Hills round, the ARC Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally gets going later next month on August 22-25.

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