Johanna Long
Encyclopedia
Johanna Long is an American
stock car
racer from Pensacola, Florida
. She was the winner of the 2010 Snowball Derby
and currently drives the #20 Group3 Asphalt Toyota Tundra
for her family owned Panhandle Motorsports team in the NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series.
s and she wanted to start racing karts
when she was five years old; he allowed her to start racing when she was eight. She moved up into legends car later before turning to late models when she was twelve. In 2008, she won the Gulf Coast championship including races at Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama
as well as the late model track championship at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola.
, Pro Late Model, and ARCA
. In 38 events, she had 27 top ten finishes, 17 top fives and five wins. Long ended 2009 by winning the pole position
in the Snowball Derby
, one of the few late model races in the off-season, which features drivers from around the United States.
She was expected to race in three Camping World races in 2010 but ended up racing in seven events. She raced in the Billy Ballew Motorsports
truck in the middle of the season before the #15 team was shut down, and finished the year by racing in four events for her family's team named Panhandle Motorsports. With Ballew she qualified in all three races between 15th and 20th before finishing 17th, 34th and 20th. With Panhandle she had a season-high ninth place qualifying effort at Texas Motor Speedway
with her best finish being a 20th place result at the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
. Long returned to Pensacola's Five Flags Speedway
for the 2010 Snowball Derby, and won the 43rd annual running of the event by holding off Landon Cassill
. She became the second female to win the race after Tammy Jo Kirk
did it in 1994.
Long will be running in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the entire 2011 season, competing for Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stock car
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
racer from Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. She was the winner of the 2010 Snowball Derby
Snowball Derby
The Snowball Derby is a 300-lap super late model stock car automobile race held annually at the half-mile Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. The race has been contested every year since 1968 and is always run on the first weekend in December...
and currently drives the #20 Group3 Asphalt Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup truck introduced by Toyota in the year 2000. It was widely considered to be the first full-size import-brand truck built with an American look and feel and a refined V8 engine. The Tundra was eventually nominated for the North American Truck of the Year...
for her family owned Panhandle Motorsports team in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Camping World Truck Series.
Background
Long's father raced late modelLate model
A "late model car" is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. The term is broadly used in car racing, and often appears in common use, as in "The officer was driving an unmarked, late model sedan."There is no precise...
s and she wanted to start racing karts
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
when she was five years old; he allowed her to start racing when she was eight. She moved up into legends car later before turning to late models when she was twelve. In 2008, she won the Gulf Coast championship including races at Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
as well as the late model track championship at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola.
NASCAR career
Long began her transition into NASCAR in 2009 by racing in a variety of series, including ASA Late Model SeriesASA Late Model Series
ASA Late Model Series is a nationally touring American stock car racing series. Founded by Ron Varney in 2003 as the "USPRO Cup Series" , it was renamed "ASA Late Model Series in when it was purchased by the American Speed Association in 2004...
, Pro Late Model, and ARCA
Automobile Racing Club of America
Automobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...
. In 38 events, she had 27 top ten finishes, 17 top fives and five wins. Long ended 2009 by winning the pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
in the Snowball Derby
Snowball Derby
The Snowball Derby is a 300-lap super late model stock car automobile race held annually at the half-mile Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. The race has been contested every year since 1968 and is always run on the first weekend in December...
, one of the few late model races in the off-season, which features drivers from around the United States.
She was expected to race in three Camping World races in 2010 but ended up racing in seven events. She raced in the Billy Ballew Motorsports
Billy Ballew Motorsports
Billy Ballew Motorsports is a team that competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. They were formed in 1996 by Georgia businessman Billy Ballew. They currently field the #51 Bullet Liner F-150 for Colin Braun.- Fasscore Motorsports :...
truck in the middle of the season before the #15 team was shut down, and finished the year by racing in four events for her family's team named Panhandle Motorsports. With Ballew she qualified in all three races between 15th and 20th before finishing 17th, 34th and 20th. With Panhandle she had a season-high ninth place qualifying effort at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
with her best finish being a 20th place result at the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
. Long returned to Pensacola's Five Flags Speedway
Five Flags Speedway
Five Flags Speedway is a paved ½-mile auto racing oval in Pensacola, Florida. It opened in 1953 and is located on Pine Forest Road. It is christened after the nickname of Pensacola—“City of Five Flags.”...
for the 2010 Snowball Derby, and won the 43rd annual running of the event by holding off Landon Cassill
Landon Cassill
Landon Douglas Cassill is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. He is a test driver for Hendrick Motorsports. He currently drives the #51 Chevrolet Impala for Phoenix Racing in the Sprint Cup Series....
. She became the second female to win the race after Tammy Jo Kirk
Tammy Jo Kirk
Tammy Jo Kirk is a racecar and motorcycle racer. She was the first woman to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and later returned to NASCAR to run the Busch Series. She has not driven in NASCAR since 2003....
did it in 1994.
Long will be running in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the entire 2011 season, competing for Rookie-of-the-Year honors.