GO-KART KID ON FAST TRACK.

Byline: Eric Sondheimer

Getting wisdom teeth pulled, coming down with a stomachache, a bad case of sunburn - those are the typical excuses offered by teen-agers seeking to miss a couple of days of school. Then there was the strange request sought by 14-year-old Patrick Long of Oak Park.

He had his mom write a letter to his teachers last month explaining that he needed to miss seven days of school so he could fly to Europe to compete in a Go-Kart race.

``My mom kind of told them it was for career advancement,'' Patrick said.

Off he went to Belgium, where he stunned the world of Go-Kart racing by finishing second in the Belgian Championship, the highest finish ever by an American in a junior race.

``That's an incredible accomplishment for an American,'' said Art Glattke, executive director of the International Go-Kart Federation. ``Go-Kart racing in Europe is treated with the same reverence as IndyCar and Indy Lights in this country.''

Few around the Oak Park High School campus know that Long is one of the best Go-Kart racers in the nation for his age group. He's a two-time Grand National champion, having won in 1992 and 1995. This past weekend at Lake Perris, he set a track record in winning his race by 8 seconds. In his past 12 Go-Kart races, he has finished first eight times.

If anyone is on the fast track to race-car stardom, it's this 5-foot-3, 107-pound redhead who long ago traded in his Little League glove for the chance to experience the thrill of racing Go-Karts at 70 mph around half-mile tracks across the country.

``I loved anything with racing,'' he said. ``I'd be at home and there would be a birthday party to go to and I decided I wanted to race. Racing was more important to me.''

As a young boy he would watch races at Ascot Park in Gardena, Saugus Speedway and Ventura Fairgrounds with his father and uncle. As a 5-year-old, he remembers driving around in a $75 fun go-kart in the backyards of houses under construction in Oak Park.

When he turned 8, he got a Go-Kart for his birthday and competed in his first race soon after. He hasn't slowed down since. Lots of weekends are spent traveling with his parents to San Diego or San Bernardino for regional races. He also has been to Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Missouri - he should get extra credit in geography class for identifying all the states he has raced in.

His second-place finish on April 21 in Genk, Belgium, really opened people's eyes. It's the same track that the World Championship for 14-year-olds will be held in July. Long intends to be there.

``It's the most prestigious race to win in Go-Karting,'' he said. ``One hundred guys will show up and if you're not fast enough, you won't make it to the final race. This helped me out 100 percent, knowing the track, knowing the rubber on the track, knowing how the kids race.''

One place Long doesn't figure to visit again on his next trip to Belgium is the local golf country club. Reaffirming that he's still only a high school freshman, Long and a couple of his Go-Kart buddies spotted some golf carts with keys in them and decided to take a little joy ride until they were caught.

``We put our hands up and said, `We're guilty,' '' Long said. ``We had fun. My mom said, `You gave the Americans a bad rap again in Europe.' ''

Long's parents, Jon and Claudia, spent close to $12,000 last year on their son's Go-Kart racing. It was mostly for travel expenses and entry fees because he has sponsors who supply him with his Go-Karts and parts. His sponsors require him to maintain at least a B grade-point average. He wears a helmet, uniform, gloves, neck brace and high-top shoes when he races.

The IKF has a membership of more than 6,000 ranging in age from 8 to 50, and even older.

``It's the stepping stone for anything you want to get into (in racing),'' Glattke said.

If Long had his wish, he would go to a driving school in France and learn to race Formula One cars. But he's preparing for anything - Indy cars, NASCAR, Formula One. He wants to be a race-car driver.

``There's nothing I'd rather do,'' he said.

Well, first he'd like to become old enough to get a California driver's license.

``Teachers will ask me, `You can drive a Go-Kart 80 mph but you're not old enough to have a driver's license to drive on the street?' ''

And will Long be a good driver?

``Oh yeah,'' he promised. ``Everybody thinks all the Go-Kart racers will want to drive their normal cars like a race car.''

No one needs to worry about Long's driving skills - except maybe in a golf cart.

MEMO: Deputy Sports Editor Eric Sondheimer's local column appears Tuesdays in the Daily News.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Fourteen-year-old Patrick Long, in car No. 29 , won the Grand National in Portland, Ore., last year.

Special to the Daily News

(2--color) LONG