Catchfence

Capping Off a Learning Year with a Solid Finish

For her first year NASCAR, the youngest competitor in motorsports’ top three elite Series had a strong 20th place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19th. The last race of the Camping World Truck Series season was the seventh start for 18-year-old Long. Earning three top-20 finishes in 2010, Long is actively seeking sponsorship for the 2011 season with Panhandle Motorsports. The goal is to run a full Rookie season and continue to make progress on speedway tracks.

Long Comfortable in Her Own Backyard

A Blizzard Series Champion in late models in 2009, Johanna was the pole-sitter in last year’s Snowball Derby. It will be her third entry into the grueling race, known in the motorsports circles as the “Super Bowl of Short Track” for its history and list of winners over the years. She will compete in the December 4th Allen Turner Snowflake 100, as well as field her Super Late Model car for the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby on Sunday, December 5th. After 22 starts in 2010 in different stock car Series, she’s logged five top-Fives and 10 top-10 finishes – giving her momentum to keep putting knowledge under her belt.

“I’m so excited to be home, in my very own backyard of racing,” said Johanna. “Racing in the Truck Series was awesome this year, and I learned so much from drivers, crews and the tracks themselves. There is such a difference between a Late Model and a Truck, and once I passed that learning curve, it was easier to focus on the speedway knowledge. Now we’re focusing on 2011 plans – but first, the Derby!

Testing…Testing…1,2,3,4 FIVE Flags

Johanna was able to get back into her short track “seat” in the No.10 Panhandle Motorsports car the week prior to the Snowball Derby at her home track of Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. She was joined on track by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan, who caught laps for the day and is making his Derby debut. Pensacola’s own Eddie Mercer and Logan Boyette also tested their Super Late Model cars at Five Flags Speedway that day.

Quick Facts – It’s All in the Numbers

NASCAR Camping World Trucks:

Engine: 358 Cubic Inches

Horsepower: 650-700

Weight: 3,400lbs distributed through a truck bed

Super Late Models:

Engine: 360 Cubic Inches

Horsepower: 500-600

Weight: 2,750lbs distributed through a streamlined car with a wide body

Johanna Long

Panhandle Motorsports is again enlisting the help of veteran crew chief Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Starland at the Derby races this year on the No. 10 car. Starland normally handles the truck chief duties for the No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra for Johanna in the NCWTS. Starland, well-known as crew chief for the No.15 Billy Ballew Motorsports (BBM) truck, has the benefit of working with drivers such as Johnny Benson, Steven Wallace & Nelson Piquet, Jr. Long will also be joined in Pensacola by many of her NASCAR crew and friends.

Busy as a Bee:

The hometown fan favorite has a busy week ahead of her, with radio interviews and local appearances beckoning. Johanna locally visited Bob Tyler Toyota-Scion-Suzuki in Pensacola on Tuesday, November 30th, as well as hit the annual Speed51 Beef O’Brady’s night. She will also be on local radio, as well as Sirius XM NASCAR’s Tradin’ Paint on Friday at 12:30pmET.

- Girl Friday PR & Marketing Press Release