Dave Longhurst has come a long way in racing since buying his first car for £7.

Since starting out in 1974, the 43-year-old from Worthing has been world 2-litre hot rod champion on four occasions, not to mention a string of other titles.

But Longhurst insists there is still plenty more to achieve, starting with a defence of his world crown in Ireland this month.

He said: "All the championships are different in their own way and the buzz is still there.

"There is a hunger to do well, especially with the 2-litre class. National hot rods is so serious and there is not the fun aspect that there is in the 2-litre class."

Longhurst, an engine builder, got hooked on racing after being taken to his first stock car meeting as a young boy.

He said: "I have always been keen on cars. My dad used to help out and I went to watch stock car racing with my brother for as long as I can remember.

"A friend at school was doing it and I bought a car from him for £7.

"We did the junior championship at Worthing from 1974 in a class for 15 to 17 year olds. We did win the junior championship there. I had 12 years at Worthing and won group championships on a number of occasions."

Longhurst switched from the grass of Worthing to oval racing in 1984, first in the super rods and then in hot rods.

His first major title came in 1988 and his haul since then includes being world champion in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 2001, four European titles, one national, six English and one British.

The latest success was winning the European 2-litre hot rod title on an emotional night at Ipswich last month.

Defending champion Mark Bouldon had been killed in an accident at work the previous week but promoters Spedeworth International decided to go ahead with the event.

Longhurst said: "He was a good friend of ours through the racing. I went on a five-week tour to South Africa with him last year and got on very well with him.

"On the track you are arch enemies but off it you are good friends. It was an emotional day, a sad day but I was determined I was going to win it. That meant a lot to me."

In the same meeting Longhurst was attempting to become the first person to hold the 2-litre and national hot rod world titles at the same time.

Unfortunately, his bid for the latter saw the Worthing ace finish eighth out of the 32 starters.

Longhurst first had a crack at national hot rods in 1995 but he has never sat easily with a level of racing where the ultra-competitiveness takes away the fun aspect.

Two-litre racing is his preferred option and his bid to defend his world crown takes him to Portadown in Ireland this week.

It will be Longhurst's first trip across the Irish Sea for nine years. He explained: "I went over there to defend my world title in 1993. Unfortunately, there was some aggravation and I haven't been back since.

"But you have got to bury the hatchet sometime."

Longhurst may have missed out on his bid to hold both world titles at once but nothing will please him more than to defend his 2-litre crown next weekend.