Full Throttle

Johanna Long, the 17-year-old Pensacola driver, continues to run with the big boys of racing. Make that win against the big boys.

She became the first woman to clinch the Blizzard Series Super Late Model points championship Friday night at Five Flags Speedway. Long finished fourth to win the title by just 5 points over Augie Grill, who won his second straight Blizzard race.

A year after winning the Pro Late Model championship, she’s now the Blizzard Series champion. “It’s awesome, a dream come true,” Long said as the fans roared their approval. “I never thought I’d be here. My family and my crew have supported me all season. It’s just great.”

It wasn’t great for Bubba Pollard, who entered the race with a 23-point lead over Long. But his poor qualifying position (12th) put him in the middle of the pack and it proved disastrous on the opening lap. He was involved in a big spinout on the frontstretch that damaged several cars, including his own.

Pollard ran to the pits to get into a backup car, but since he had already completed a lap, he could not use a second car. Pollard returned to the track on Lap 30, but that eliminated him from the points battle, which was now left to Grill and Long.

Grill was the fastest qualifier and dominated the race, leading all 100 laps. Long started second and stayed in that position until Lap 69 when Casey Smith passed her. The deciding move came on the restart of the final caution on Lap 87. Hunter Robbins had beaten Grill out of the pits, but he was running on only seven cylinders and Grill quickly passed him. Robbins actually triggered the caution when he tapped Mercer trying to take over fourth place.

Long restarted fourth and kept that position for the final 13 laps to clinch the title. “I told my crew on the radio that I wasn’t going to do anything to lose one more position,” Long said. “My whole goal this whole race was to stay out of trouble and win the championship.”

Grill, the two-time defending Snowball Derby, couldn’t have done anything more. “I couldn’t have got any more points,” he said. “I hate it that Bubba couldn’t race for the championship. I’m happy for Johanna, but I feel pretty good going into the Snowball Derby. I wish it was next week.”

Smith finished second, while Robbins took third. Chris Davidson was fifth and Eddie Mercer sixth. Pollard finished 20th and still finished third in the point standings. That could make a big difference come Snowball Derby time. Should Grill and/or Long make the starting field on their own, the provisional spots go to the next drivers in the point standings.

Long’s father, Donald Long, didn’t even race Friday night so they could focus on Johanna’s performance.

The 17-year-old now turns her focus to the ARCA RE/MAX Series, where she is scheduled to compete for D’Hondt Motorsports during the American ARCA 200 at Rockingham Speedway; Sunday, October 11.

Johanna turned in a time of 25.734/139.893 during the Sept. 23rd ARCA test at The Rock. Steve Arpin topped the time sheets that day with a time of 24.877/144.712.

Long made her ARCA debut in July at Iowa Speedway driving for Venturini Motorsports. She qualed 7th for the event but encountered brake problems early, losing a lap and got her nose chopped off by another competitor and finished in 23rd place.

She will attempt to become the second woman driver to win the Snowball Derby after Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. But on Friday night, Donald and his family and crew celebrated a championship with his daughter. “We had some good fortune,” Donald Long said. “It’s good when a plan comes together.”

Long’s season wraps up at Winchester Speedway for the 38th annual Winchester 400 Weekend. The Super Series Late Model 400 Lap event will also feature NASCAR Stars Kyle Busch & David Stremme.

Nashville Fairgrounds (November 1st) Long plans to race against the Super Late Model’s best in a 400 lap event on Nashville’s .596 mile asphalt. On December 6th, Johanna will be back home in Pensacola as the Panhandle Motorsports team gears up for a Showdown in the Superbowl of Super Late Model racing - “The Snowball Derby”

Stroy via the 26 September issue of the Pensacola News Journal