Johanna
"Jo"
Long

LATEST SNIPPET

 Johanna started 15th at Michigam and at the end of 124 laps was in the18th spot

1:14
8:51

Sound Off: Danica Patrick vs. Johanna
Rowdy Interview: Johanna Long
ML Racing Johanna Facebook Q&A 4:30

 
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Profile
Snippets
Schedule & Results - 2013
News

Related Issue: Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women
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Profile

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
DOB: 5-26-92
Race Driver/Student
Single

In 2011 made 17 of 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races as a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate with her family-run Panhandle Motorsports team. … Posted her career-best finish of 11th at Texas-1. … In 2010 made her NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut, where she made seven starts for her family team and Billy Ballew Motorsports, with a best finish of 17th in her Lucas Oil Raceway debut. … Established career highlight with her Snowball Derby victory. … In 2009 at age 17, made two ARCA Racing Series starts, for owners Bill Venturini and Eddie D'Hondt. … Won the Blizzard Series super late model championship at Five Flags Speedway in her first year in the class, winning two of five races in addition to the pole position for the Snowball Derby. … Won the Gulf Coast Championship for super late models that included races in Pensacola and Mobile, Ala., winning three times with an average finish of 3.4. … In 2008, won pro late model division championship at Five Flags and also won races in Mobile and Opp, Ala.; along with making her first Snowball Derby start. … Moved to racing late model stock cars at age 12 after a period in Legends cars. … Began racing karts as an eight-year-old after setting that goal at age five.

Father Donald Long was a noted late model racer throughout the Southeast who often brought his daughter to the race track and competed against her in several Snowball Derbies, including her victory. Plans to contend for Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

Snippets


Johanna started 21st at Iowa and at the end of 250 laps was in 12th, tieing her highest finishes last year at Daytona and Kentucky.

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“The Big One” in the Talladega Nationwide Race hit on Lap 94, with a crash triggered by contact involving Johanna Long and former points leader Sam Hornish Jr.

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Johanna started 27th at Las Vegas and finished 19th, 2 laps down.

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Early crash snares Long, Honish, Pastrana Johanna started 16th at Phoenix and on the 2nd lap it looks like she lost it in an oil patch.

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Johanna Long finished 27th in the 2013 Daytona Nationwide Race after being involved in the first major wreck, the sixth caution of the day, with five laps to go that wiped out nearly a dozen cars.

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Johanna grids 36th at 2013 Daytona Nationwide Race

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Johanna Long hopes to race her way out from under Danica Patrick’s shadow in 2013.

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Johanna started 36th at Homestead and finished 34th. She finished the season in 20th having raced in 21 of 33 races.

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Johanna started in the 12th spot next to Danica Patrick and ended up 200 laps later in the 12th spot in Kentucky.

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Johanna was gridded 17th at Chicago and finished 21, 4 laps behind the leader.

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Johanna Long started 8th, her highest start, at the Richmond Nationwide race and finished in 32nd but held on to her 19th spot in the over standings even though she's running 8 fewer races so far this year. She will be running five of the final 8 races of the season.

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Johanna Long started 29th at the Bristol Nationwide race and finished in 29th.

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Johanna Long started 17th at the Indiana 250 Nationwide race and finished 30th.

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Johanna Long Indianapolis Motor Speedway Preview

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Johanna finished started 12th and finished 21st at Chicagoland.

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Johanna gets top finish of the year at Daytona holding down the 12th position and finishing on the lead lap.

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Johanna started 14 and finished 16th at Michigan International on same lap as winner.

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Johanna started 19th and finished in the 22nd spot in the NASCAR Nationwide race at Iowa.

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Jo started 21st, was 12th with 26 laps to go in the first Nationwide race of 2012. She ended up in one of the many pileups and kept running, finishing 21st.  She is currently ranked 37th.

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That's the way I love to see a NASCAR round-d-round race end with a major pileup with the leaders at the front of the pack and lots of money down the drain to repair all those cars. It's the new form of the good ole Demolition Derby.

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Long not jealous of Danica-mania at Daytona

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Johanna Long to team with female car owner in 2012 Nationwide Series

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Johanna started 25th in the race at Phoenix and came across the finish line in 20th.

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Johanna started 5th in the race at Daytona but was involved in an accident and finished 32nd.

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Pole winner at Five Flags in annual Snowball Derby race in 2009.

News


NASCAR 2013: Johanna Long hopes to race her way out from under Danica Patrick’s shadow


Johanna Long spent 2012 trying to learn how to race in the Nationwide Series, focusing on her performance and not the incessant comparisons to the other female driver — Danica Patrick.

With Patrick primarily competing in Sprint Cup this year while possibly running a handful of Nationwide races, Long won’t hear as many comparisons as the “other woman” in the field as she embarks on a 21-race Nationwide schedule in 2013.

“Everyone’s going to compare you to somebody and that’s the bright thing to do — is to compare two females,” Long said.

“I know they do it, but it’s something I never paid complete attention to. … I don’t focus on that. It really doesn’t faze me.”

As the primary female driver in the series, there’s the possibility that Long could get more attention now that Patrick has moved to Cup. But there’s also the possibility of less attention without Patrick, whose celebrity goes beyond the NASCAR fan base.

“The thing that I always tell myself is if I start running good and I start running in the top 10 and getting those finishes that I deserve, all the media attention is going to come,” Long said.

“I don’t want to be focused on because I’m a female. I want to be focused on because I am getting those finishes that I deserve and I am out there running with the guys like I should.”

The 20-year-old Long has a strong following from avid race fans, many of who resent the media focus on Patrick and believe Patrick is more beauty than racer.

Those fans believe Long’s stock-car roots and short-track racing experience create more promise for her to eventually outperform Patrick, who made history as a female winning an IndyCar race and is in her second full-time stock-car season.

Johanna Long hopes to race her way out from under Danica Patrick's shadow. (NASCAR Illustrated Photo)“I don’t really care if I’m the first (female to win in NASCAR) or whatever it is,” Long said. “Whenever the time comes and I get the opportunity, I’m just going to be happy for it. … Yeah, I have the hair and I’m a female, but when I’m out in the car, I’m just another driver.

“When I get in the car, I’m in my heaven.”

Long knows what it’s like to win big races. In 2010, she became the second female to win the Snowball Derby — a highly competitive Late Model race — at Five Flags Speedway in her hometown Pensacola, Fla.

She ran 24 races in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010 and 2011, with a best finish of 11th at Texas but with six races where she crashed out.

Last year, she ran 21 Nationwide races for ML Motorsports, a small one-car team based in northwestern Indiana that has two top-10 finishes in six years of competing in the series.

Long posted a best finish of 12th at Daytona and crashed out just three times. She had only three lead-lap finishes but showed signs of speed and steady improvement.

Her biggest hurdle last season was understanding how the car will handle with a change in track temperature, especially at races where they practiced during the day and raced at night.

She will run another 21 races this year for ML Motorsports, which has bought cars from Richard Childress Racing and will run with Earnhardt Childress Racing motors.

“I got to where I learned the tracks and learned those cars and learned what I wanted in the racecar,” Long said.

“I did extremely well towards the end of the year. … It was just fun, and I definitely felt like I grew as a driver.”
Source: aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-02-10/danica-patrick-johanna-long-2023-female-drivers-nationwide-series-sprint-cup?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl30%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D268491

Richmond International Raceway Event Preview


Johanna Long and the No. 70 Keen Parts Chevrolet team look forward to heading back to Richmond International Speedway as the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) makes its second stop of the season at the .75-mile track. The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 event will be aired live on ESPN beginning at 7:00 pm EST. Fans can also tune into MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 90.

The No. 70 team will unload chassis No. 61 for this Friday night’s race under the lights at Richmond International Raceway. Chassis No. 61 was last utilized at Kentucky Speedway on June 29th, where Long and the ML Motorsports team registered a 19th-place finish.

Long and the ML Motorsports team last visited Richmond International Raceway on April 27. The 20-year-old rookie brought the No. 70 Chevrolet to a solid top-20 finish.

"Richmond International Raceway is by far one of my favorite tracks on the NNS schedule,” commented Long. “This track is a ton of fun to get around. I’m looking forward to coming back here with Keen Parts on board. We had a strong car here in April, so hopefully we can take what we learned earlier this season and build off of that going into Friday night’s race.”
Source: johannalong.com/news/pr/86

Could Johanna Long be NASCAR's next Danica Patrick?


Shawna Robinson, in 2002, was the last woman to race in Sprint Cup, closing out an eight-race Cup career with a 24th place finish in the July race at Daytona. Danica Patrick will likely be the next female in Cup, perhaps next year depending upon how her partial Nationwide season with JR Motorsports goes.

There are plenty more in development stages, including Jennifer Jo Cobb. She ran the entire 25-race Camping World Truck Series in 2010, finishing 17th in the points.

NASCAR wants and needs a female driver in Cup. You can look at the excitement and television ratings, and probably ticket sales, that Patrick's IndyCar resume brought to Nationwide this season and know that a female who can really drive -- pass people, run at the front, compete to win races -- is a valuable marketing tool. Patrick passed cars this year, but wasn't close to running in the top 10. Imagine what it would mean to have a female who could.

Write down the name Johanna Long. She's several years away, but everything she's done so far points to her being NASCAR's best prospect for long-term success in Cup.

Long closed out 2010 on Dec. 5 with a victory in the Snowball Derby, the nation's most prestigious Super Late Model race. Former winners include Kyle Busch in 2009, Donnie Allison in 1975 and Darrell Waltrip in 1976. Cup drivers in this year's race included David Ragan, David Stremme and Landon Cassill, and she beat top male prospects Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott, and Ross Kenseth, son of Matt Kenseth.

Tammy Jo Kirk won the Snowball, too, in 1994, the only previous female to do it. Kirk became the first woman to drive in NASCAR's Trucks series, making 32 starts in 1997 and 1998 and drove in 15 Nationwide races in 2003. She didn't have a top 10 in either series and never made it to Cup. It's part of the race's history, but is irrelevant to Long's future. They are different drivers with different backgrounds at different stages of their careers.

Kirk had raced motorcycles and was a regular in NASCAR's All-Pro Series, which included the Snowball in 1994, when she was 32. Long is 18 and has been winning short-track stock car races since she was 16. The Snowball was the pinnacle of Kirk's career. It's a line of demarcation for Long.

"It just means a lot for me as a person because it's the biggest short track race in the country," Long said. "It was so emotional for me, in my backyard with my family here, and so many big names have won the Snowball Derby, so hopefully, it opened some eyes and opened some doors. I think I've proved myself. It definitely couldn't hurt me."

Long made a late stop for tires and passed six cars in the final five laps to win the Snowball, which was run at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., her hometown track. Long won the Pro Late Model championship there in 2008 and the track's top-level Blizzard Series in 2009, but she's no one-track wonder. Long has also won late model races at Mobile International Speedway and South Alabama Speedway.

Long ventured into NASCAR in 2010, driving in seven Trucks races. She was 17th in her first race at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. It was a program designed to prepare her for next year's Truck series, where she hopes to run the entire season with the goal of becoming Rookie of the Year.

Daytona is the Trucks' opener and NASCAR has a stringent approval process to race there. Drivers start on short tracks like ORP and then have to prove themselves on the 1.5-mile tracks to be approved for Daytona.

"When we picked our races, we picked them to get approved for Daytona," Long said. "NASCAR wants you to complete two mile-and-a halves before you can run Daytona."

Long ran to a 20th-place finish at Chicagoland, but a mechanical failure at Las Vegas and an accident at Texas took her out very early. Her last chance was Homestead-Miami, where she finished 20th and on the lead lap.

"I had to do really good at Homestead-Miami," Long said. "I'm really excited to be able to do Daytona."

Long drove the opening three Truck races in Billy Ballew Motorsports' No. 15 Toyota. When Ballew shut the team down, her family-owned late model team --run by father, Donald -- purchased some Toyotas from Kyle Busch's team and hired some of Ballew's crew to augment their existing personnel and ran the final four races of the Truck season.

Among those who signed on from Ballew was Cowboy Starland, a veteran Truck series crew chief whose career included calling the shots on the Roush Fenway trucks for Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. Starland has also signed on for 2011 with Long.

"It's very surprising how much car control she has," Starland said. "It's absolutely important. You've got to have control of what you're driving so it doesn't have control of you. She's impressed me. She's got talent and is pretty amazing as far as being an 18-year-old girl. With each race she gets more comfortable.

"The trucks are harder to drive than the late models. You've got o have more finesse and the speeds are much higher. She just needs more [truck] races."

Starland was also Long's crew chief for her Snowball win.

"It's the biggest short track race you can win," he said. "People that have tried to win it and haven't is a big list. We need to build on that momentum. It couldn't have come at a better time. We got what we needed and what she needed. You've got to have that confidence."

Starland sees some of the same characteristics in Long that he saw in Edwards and Biffle.

"They all have that same hunger, they want to do well and that's what you need," Starland said. "They ask a lot of questions."

Starland believes Long can make it to Cup.

"Absolutely," he said. "She's relentless. She's got what it takes, no doubt about it."

Daytona will be critical to Long's season. She has to qualify for the race on time in what is traditionally the largest entry of the year. It's also the premier lure for sponsors and the largest purse.

"We're gong to race as many truck races as we can," Long said. "It depends on how Daytona goes. If it goes really good, we'll try to run the whole season."

Long understands the challenge of the years ahead. She excited about meeting them.

"I started racing go-karts when I was five," Long said. "All I've ever dreamed about is going fast. I've been around racing (her father was a long-time late model driver) since I've been a little girl. It's in my blood.

"I want to go the farthest I can go, do the best I can and keep moving forward and one day make it to the highest level. It's not going to be easy."
Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tim_tuttle/12/16/Johanna.Long/index.html

Initial NASCAR Race at Indy - Johanna was there


Johanna Long tells us it all started with her dad and a go-kart. Since then she has been on a mission to find her “heaven”. And this weekend … Super Weekend 2012 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Brickyard" … may just be it.

"When you see that green flag drop -- you're so nervous when you're out of the car (before a race) -- and when you get settled in and I see that green flag drop and I'm starting to go racing everything just goes away. I'm in my heaven," said Long, “I don't think about anything else. I just worry about my car and the fun begins. That's just the part of racing I always like, it's crazy ... how you can just love it. I love it. When I'm in it, like I said, I'm in my heaven."

Her Dad, Donald Long, was a late-model racer when Johanna was growing up, and she says that he gets the credit for putting the love of racing into her blood stream.

"I was five and he was traveling a lot (on the weekends)," she said. "I really wanted to get heavily involved and I wanted to start racing. He kind of put it off because he was always out of town and really didn't have time to start me racing. Finally, when I was eight, he said 'all right, if you want to race, I'll slow down. I'll stay home weekends and I'll let you race.' Ever since age 8 we've been going heavy into go-kart racing."

That was the start of her promising career. Ironically, father and daughter careers briefly intersected in late models, where Long called it a draw. "The first race we ran together I actually out-qualified him and then he beat me in the race. The second race, he out-qualified me and I beat him in the race. So we both had our share."

When it was time for her dad to retire, his daughter’s career started turning heads. At the age of 15, she became the youngest pro late model track champion ever at Five Flags Speedway in her hometown of Pensacola. By age 16, with 38 starts, Long won five times, had 18 top-fives and 27 top-tens all across the southeast. She also made two ARCA starts.

In 2011 Long ran more races in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series before moving up to a 21-race partial schedule in NASCAR Nationwide in 2012.

Today, competing for ML Motorsports, Johanna Long is 18th in points in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and a serious contender for Rookie of the Year. She and her No. 70 Keen Parts Chevrolet team are preparing for one of the most anticipated races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, “Kroger Super Weekend 2012 at the Brickyard”, the famed 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Warsaw, Indiana team is owned by another Woman behind the Wheel, Mary Louise Miller, who considers the legendary Brickyard the team’s home track. We caught up with Johanna as she prepares for one of the biggest races of her career. The media responsibilities are sometimes overwhelming for this young driver, who considers herself a shy person, but extensive media training is paying off and she now is beginning to enjoy the many driver appearances and fan interaction during a typical race weekend. Super Weekend 2012 is no exception.

First Stop: Thursday evening’s 4th Annual NASCAR Hauler Parade down Speedway’s Main Street.

Next up: Wish for our Heroes > Serving it up for those who Serve Friday, July 27, Long helps serve up hamburger and hot dogs for those who serve our country at the Wish for Our Heroes “Grills Gone Wild” BBQ event with local Indiana troops. Fans came out to mingle with the local Indiana troops and have a burger and hot dog on ML Motorsports..

Final Stop: Visiting staff and children at the Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.

All this before her real job behind the wheel!

When asked how she feels the opportunity to race at one of the most historical tracks in the country, she sums up her emotions in one word: "Blessed."

"I feel like I am gaining a lot of experience and a lot of people are recognizing me, that I belong out there and I am gaining respect from all the drivers," she said. "I just need to keep doing that and the other stuff will come. I don't pay attention to people who don't think I belong out there because in my heart I know that I do. It's just all about getting seat time and learning these tracks and doing the best I can and working well with the crew and we will start getting those better finishes."

To help prepare for Indianapolis, she has watched video of Cup cars to understand the racing line. She has former Nationwide Series champion David Green as her driving coach and spotter, and hopes his experience will help speed up the learning curve.

Her coaches and mentors describe Long as "hungry" and even "relentless."

"I've not met a driver at this age and at this part of their career as hungry as she is," David Green told NASCAR.com. "Johanna's committed. I've never seen the commitment that Johanna has, not only to her job at hand but her career as a driver."

The Nationwide Series Rookie proved herself on the track Saturday by qualifying 17th out of a field of 43 entries and ahead of NASCAR’s notables including Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, Michael Annett and Joe Nemechek.

The team is visibly pumped for race day and you can immediately identify that Long feels most at home behind the wheel rather than in front of the cameras. As she straps on her helmet and safety harness you can see the visible transformation as her face changes from a shy, rookie, underfunded underdog to the poised, confident and committed driver she is.

Racing in the top 20 for the first 30+ laps she held her own against some of NASCAR’s best. A surprise caution came out in Lap 39 when Danica Patrick made contact with Reed Sorensen removing both drivers from the race. By Lap 63, Long pushed her way forward to 16 position. But a serious vibration and drive shaft failure forced her off-track and into the garage on Lap 70. She was eventually able to re-enter the race but was 10 laps down and in 31st position.

With only 20 laps remaining, there simply was not enough time to make magic happen. The No 70 Team watched Brad Keselowski make history as the winner of NASCAR’s inaugural Nationwide Series Indiana 250 at the Brickyard.

After the race, Long reflected: ‘It was definitely an experience. It was a lot of fun racing here. It’s hard to pass, but we had a really good car. We just got struggled up with the drive shaft. There was nothing we could do about it, but I’m really proud of these guys for never giving up. We have a lot to work on, though. It’s something to gain on, and I’m really proud of it.”
Source: http://www.trackchic.com/wbw/

Johanna Long Indianapolis Motor Speedway Preview


Johanna Long and the No. 70 Keen Parts Chevrolet team are anxious to get back on track this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most anticipated races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) schedule. The hometown team based in Warsaw, IN is set to take to the 2.5-mile track for the first time in NASCAR history on July 28. The Indy 250 event can be seen live on ESPN beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET. Race coverage can also be heard on MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 90. Check your local listings for start times.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/circle_track/johanna-long-indianapolis-motor-speedway-preview/

Long Finishes 21st at Daytona


Johanna Long will start 21st in the Drive for COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway after posting a laptime of 49.83 seconds (181.51 mph) on her second qualifying lap.

Danica Patrick will start from the pole alongside Trevor Bayne; following in the top ten are Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Austin Dillon, Sam Hornish, Jr., Tony Stewart, Cole Whitt, Brad Keselowski, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Pre-race coverage begins at noon and will be broadcast on ESPN with the green flag dropping at approximately 1:25 pm.

Practice

Johanna Long posted a laptime of 30.34 seconds (178.80 mph) during the first practice session at Daytona International Speedway in only five laps. The crew made adjustments to the No. 70 Chevy enabling Long to pick up speed during the final practice session with a laptime of 48.96 seconds (183.83 mph) which was 26th on the leaderboard.

Qualifying is scheduled for Friday at 2:05 pm and will be broadcast on ESPN. Race coverage begins at 1:00 pm on Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Source: www.mlracing.com/Index.cfm

Long not jealous of Danica-mania at Daytona


Johanna Long hasn’t walked the red carpet at the ESPY’s or the Grammy. Neither has she been splashed across magazines or national television commercials.

When she gets to Daytona International Speedway on Monday, she’ll be the other woman making a competitive debut of sorts, this time in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series race Saturday.

She’ll likely have a cameo role this week in Danica-mania — the continued fascination and world media attention on Danica Patrick, who has a guaranteed spot for her NASCAR Sprint Cup debut in Sunday’s Daytona 500. That’s in addition to Patrick running a full schedule on the Nationwide Series, beginning with Saturday’s race.

Long, 19, understands she will likely get asked about Patrick, whom she has never met, along with the impact female drivers can have in a male-dominated sport.

“I just want to be me,” said Long, who will become the youngest female driver in history to start the engine in a Nationwide Series race. “This is my first time in a Nationwide car, and she has been racing for a very long time. I’m excited to be racing with her and everyone else.”

Patrick, who turns 30 next month, has created the biggest buzz already during Speedweeks at Daytona. She commanded the largest audience at media interview sessions. She’s needed her army of handlers to manage autograph seekers and media requests. One woman figured out a way to follow her into the bathroom for an autograph.

Danica-tona

Normally, the Budweiser Shootout, last night’s non-points race run at Daytona, is the ignition to NASCAR’s biggest week of national attention. But now, it’s all about the “Danica 500.”

“We’re going in there kinda flying under the radar, and that’s what I love about this situation,” said David Green, who is Long’s coach and mentor for the ML Motorsports team and a former successful driver in this level of NASCAR racing. “We’ve talked about all of this and about Danica.

“I think it’s been good for the sport. I think it’s probably enabled other opportunities for female drivers like Johanna to get involved, so I think that’s a positive.”

Green said it’s Long’s own personality that jumps out when meeting her. From the time she began racing at Five Flags Speedway, Long has instantly connected with fans, especially children and their parents.

“It’s her normalness — and I know that’s not a word,” Green said, laughing. “To me, that is such a refreshing picture in this day and time in stock car racing.

“She comes across as calm and mannered and collected, and all those things you might say are a trait of Terry Labonte, for example. But at the same time, she is very polite and normal. It’s almost as if she wants to let her actions, her ability, speak for itself on the race track.”

Another star from Pensacola area

This community has been blessed with its multitude of sports stars who have attained national acclaim and brought positive attention to Pensacola. Long will soon do the same.

Like her sports peers who grew up in Pensacola, Long has reached rare heights. She’s won the Snowball Derby, won track championships, raced at 18 on the NASCAR Truck Series, broken barriers, and earned respect. She loves where she grew up.

And now, she will be part of the biggest week and one of the grandest stages in motorsports.

“With Danica Patrick, the branding stuff she has done is great for her and it’s been very good,” said Long’s father, Donald. “I see what NASCAR is trying to do to keep growing the sport, and NASCAR needs to do that.

“With Johanna, it’s an alternative to that kind of branding. I think she fits a lot of different criteria as far as demographics. We’re very cognizant of trying to make sure we do what we’re supposed to do. We want to fill a void of her own audience.”

All she has to do is be herself. It will happen.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/circle_track/long-not-jealous-of-danica-mania-at-daytona

Johanna Long to team with female car owner in 2012 Nationwide Series


Johanna Long will drive the ML Motorsports No. 70 car in the Nationwide Series for 21 races in 2012, the team announced.

Long will drive for Mary Louise Miller, one of the few female team owners in NASCAR. The car will have sponsorship from Biomet and Foretravel Motorcoach.

Long, who has competed in 24 races in the Camping World Truck Series with a best finish of 11th at Texas last June, will compete for Nationwide rookie of the year. Her 21-race schedule begins with the season-opening event at Daytona.

The 19-year-old Long won the 2010 Snowball Derby Late Model race and has primarily run for her family-owned team.

“I’m excited to join ML Motorsports, and I’m honored to have the support of Mary Louise,” Long said in a news release. “As a female team owner in NASCAR, Mary Louise is an inspiration to me. I believe all the pieces are in place at ML Motorsports to achieve success in 2012, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Last year, the ML Motorsports car was primarily driven by Shelby Howard and David Stremme. The team has a guaranteed starting spot for the first five races of 2012 (as long as it attempts each race) as the car was fielded in partnership with Jay Robinson Racing in all events last season and finished 23rd in the owner standings.

“Johanna is a strong driver and a dynamic young lady, and we are excited to have her on board,” Miller said. “She has a great competitive spirit; we believe she has everything it takes to succeed at the highest levels of NASCAR competition.”
Source: femaleracingnews.com/circle_track/johanna-long-to-team-with-female-car-owner-in-nationwide-series

Johnna Long Nashville Race Recap


After an impressive debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) two weeks ago, Johanna Long eagerly awaited her return in Saturday night’s Nashville 200 at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway. Long showed promise throughout practice and qualifying, and appeared poised to eclipse her previous finish of 17th-place. Unfortunately, Long didn’t have a chance to show her true potential. The Pensacola, Fla., native was spun from behind in the early goings of the race. Her No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports-fielded Tundra was forced to retire from the race and she finished in 34th-place.

Three female racers left their mark on history July 23rd competing together in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - Jennifer Jo Cobb, Michelle Theriault and Johanna "Jo" Long.


Johanna “Jo” Long, at 18, is the youngest woman ever to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Piloting the No. 15 Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports, Jo has been turning heads winning championships in the Blizzard and Gulf Coast series as well as pole honors in late model series prestigious Snow Ball Derby.

As early as the age of five, as she watched her father race around the Southeast in the old NASCAR All-pro Division, Jo was driven to become a racecar driver. While other girls were taking ballet lessons, the only thing that Jo wanted to do was go to her father's Late Model shop, located in her hometown of Pensacola, Florida, where for years she begged her dad to buy her a go-kart. Jo’s mom thought it might be a phase and waited for it to pass…but it never did.

Jo moved successfully from Karts to Legends. At age 14, she made a name for herself throughout the southeast in the competitive Pro Late Model division. Then at 15-years-old, Jo made short track history becoming the youngest, and first female track champion in the long history of Five Flags Speedway to secure the Pro Late Model title.

In the years since, Jo has stayed focus on her goal to make her mark. After all, she’s the girl who took the pole position away from Kyle Busch in the 2009 Snowball Derby! Jo is now following in Busch’s footsteps, as well as current Sprint Cup Series drivers Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, Travis Kvapil and David Stremme, all former drivers for BBM.

“When I turned 18, we wanted to do something bigger than what we've been doing," Jo said. "I'm really, really excited. We've been working real hard to get to this point.

"This is a great opportunity. Billy Ballew Motorsports has great people and great equipment. Billy’s guys have been very successful helping other up and coming drivers transition into NASCAR."

"I'm just going to go out there and try to earn respect from all of them," Jo says confidently. "They're the best of the best, and I want to show that I belong out there."
Source: www.trackchic.com/wbw/index.asp?articleID=1374

Johanna Long Was No Ballerina


When Johanna Long was a little girl, ballet classes bored her and gymnastics could not hold her attention.

“She would just stand there and pick at her tights and not pay attention to what was going on,” said Haley Long, Johanna’s 21-year-old sister.

And while her sister chose to shop, little Johanna had a different kind of shop in mind.

She wanted to be at her father’s Late Model shop — located in her hometown of Pensacola, Fla. — where for years she begged dad to buy her a go-kart. Johanna’s mom thought it might be a phase and waited for it to pass.

Well, it never did. And evidenced by her Truck Series debut recently at O’Reilly Raceway Park, the phase is just getting started.

“I hope to make it a long time,” said Johanna, whose debut marked her in the record books as the youngest female to make a start in the Truck Series at 18 years old. She qualified 15th, kept the truck in good shape, and brought it home 17th.

Team owner Billy Ballew of Billy Ballew Motorsports, who typically runs the No. 15 Toyota Tundra for developing drivers, said he was more than impressed.

In fact, Ballew said Johanna’s talents and background are significantly more notable than her female predecessors.

“To have an 18-year-old who has never driven a truck before do what she did at ORP, as smooth as she did, was amazing,” Ballew said.

Pending NASCAR approval, Johanna looks to make a second start at Nashville Superspeedway Aug. 7, driving for Ballew once again as part of a multi-race development program.

“For never driving at truck at a difficult track like ORP proves she has a ton of talent and potential. This is all brand new for her but she ran consistent lap times the whole race and if she was in a truck full time I’m confident she could run with the leaders,” said Ballew, who has a history of opening doors for up and coming drivers and has fielded winning trucks for young talent such as and Aric Almirola. He also helped jumpstart the stock car careers of Brian Ickler and, most recently, Nelson Piquet Jr

“She is different and I’m not trying to take anything away from previous female racers, but she is,” Ballew said.

Her focus and pathway to racing is comparable to that of female star Danica Patrick. Johanna convinced her father to buy her a go-kart at 8 years old and she never looked back.

“And she’s only out there for one reason and that is to race because she eats, sleeps and breathes it. And she doesn’t care that she’s a girl,” Ballew said. “She wants it really bad and that is a lot of the challenge.”

You become aware of her laser focus when you ask her about life outside the track.

“There’s not much,” Johanna said. “I went to the beach a couple of times with my cousins this summer. Other than that I’ve been racing. Last year I raced 38 separate events. To tell you the truth, I’m still in high school.”

And she doesn’t leave the house for that as last year Johanna left her traditional school to become home schooled. The attendance policy was interfering with her racing.

The decision has proven to be a benefit, Johanna said

Racing Late Models, she has grabbed some much-deserved attention, namely the time last season she out-qualified Kyle Busch in the highly popular and prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway and won the pole.

The Blizzard Series champion, Johanna broke the track record with a lap of 16.463 seconds.

She won five of the 38 events she ran en route to her championships and competed in two ARCA events last season as well.

“She didn’t follow the leader, that’s for sure,” said her sister Haley. “My mom didn’t think racing was such a good idea but we couldn’t stop her and when we saw her run her first go-kart race and it was like, ‘OK, that’s where she belongs — a race track, not ballet practice.”

Schedule - 2013

2013 Nationwide Series Race Stats

Date

Track
Start
Finish
Laps
Status

Feb 23

Daytona

25
27
120/115
Running?

March 2

Phoenix

16
40
200/2
Accident

March 9

Las Vegas

27
19
200/198
Running

April 12

Texas

24
27
195/200
Running

April 26

Richmond

13
15
250/250
Running

May 4

Talladega

25
26
94/110
Accident

May 25

Charlotte

28
36
155/200
Running

June 1

Dover

-
-
200

DNS

June 8

Iowa

21
12
250/250
Running

June 15

Michigan

15
18
124/125
Running

June 22

Road America

50

June 28

Kentucky

200

July 5

Daytona

100

July 13

New Hampshire

197

July 21

Chicagoland

200

July 27

Indianapolis

100

Aug 3

Iowa

250

Aug 10

Watkins Glen

82

Aug 17

Mid-Ohio

TBA

Aug 23

Bristol

250

Aug 31

Atlanta

195

Sep 6

Richmond

250

Sep 14

Chicago

200

Sep 21

Kentucky

200

Sep 28

Dover

200

Oct 5

Kansas

200

Oct 11

Charlotte

200

Nov 2

Texas

200

Nov 9

Phoenix

200

Nov 16

Homestead

200

Results - 2012

ML Motorsports will run 21 races in the No. 70 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

Date

Track

Start
Finish
Laps
Status

Feb 25

Daytona

21
21
119/120
Running

Mar 10

Las Vegas

15
19
198/200
Running

Mar 17

Bristol

24
29
291/300
Running

Mar 24

Fontana

/150
DNS

Apr 13

Texas

15
20
197/200
Running

Apr 27

Richmond

24
20
248/250
Running

May 5

Talladega

24
37
18/122
Overheated

May 11

Darlington

.
.
/151
DNS

May 20

Iowa

20
22
246/250
Running

May 26

Charlotte

26
22
198/200
Running

Jun 2

Dover

.
.
/200
DNS

Jun 16

Michigan

14
16
125/125
Running

Jun 23

Road America

.
.
/50
DNS

Jun 29

Kentucky

42
19
196/200
Running

Jul 6

Daytona

11
12
101/101
Running

Jul 14

Loudon

.
.
/200
DNS

Jul 22

Chicagoland

12
21
199/201
Running

Jul 28

Indianapolis

17
30
90/100
Running

Aug 4

Iowa

14
13
250/250
Running

Aug 11

Watkins Glen

.

.

/82
DNS

Aug 18

Montreal

/81
DNS

Aug 24

Bristol

29
29
244/250
Running

Sep 1

Atlanta

/195
DNS

Sep 7

Richmond

8
32
109/250
In Pit

Sep 15

Chicago

17
20
196/200
Running

Sep 22

Kentucky

12
12
200/200
Running

Sep 29

Dover

DNS

Oct 12

Charlotte

DNS

Oct 20

Kansas

9
31
109/206
Accident

Nov 3

Texas

Nov 10

Phoenix

DNS

Nov 17

Homestead-Miami

36
34
177/200
Accident

Results


2012

2011: Career-best 11th-place finish at Texas in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

2010: Made national series debut in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Won Snowball Derby super late model race at hometown Five Flags Speedway, the second woman to do so and second-youngest winner.

2009: Won Blizzard Series super late model championship at Five Flags. Won Gulf Coast Championship super late model series.

2008: Won pro late model division championship at Five Flags.

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