Courtesy of SpeedwayMedia.com

Johnna Long, Jennifer Jo Cobb, and Michelle Theriault via TwitPic

by Mary Jo Buchanan

Three female racers will take to the track at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis this weekend in the Camping World Truck Series race, each making their own brand of history.  Jennifer Jo Cobb, Michelle Theriault and Johanna Long will all attempt to take the green flag on Friday evening in the AAA Insurance 200.

Jennifer Jo Cobb, the most veteran of the three racers, will have the opportunity to make history in the Truck Series.  Cobb is on her way to becoming the highest-ranked female in the point standings in the Truck Series history.

Cobb currently is ranked 17th in the standings, which matches the ranking of Tammy Jo Kirk in the 1997 season.  If Cobb finishes well at ORP, she will surpass Kirk’s ranking and make history in the Truck Series.

“I didn’t even know that stat,” Cobb said of her potential history making ranking.  “If I do, it’s just an additional honor but I don’t set out with a goal like that.”

“I race like my dad taught me early on,” Cobb continued.  “You race your own line and worry about making your car or truck as fast as you can lap after lap.”

“No driver is going to race forever,” Cobb said.  “So at the end of the day, you’d like to feel that you made a little bit of a difference and made a little bit of a mark on the sport.”

Cobb is also making her own personal history as this is her debut at O’Reilly Raceway Park.  While Cobb feels she has been to the facility before, she admits that she does not remember seeing anyone actually take a lap around the track.

“I’ve been to the facility and watched it on TV,” Cobb said.  “This will definitely be brand new for me.  We’re starting to learn what to do from these tracks where we don’t know what to expect.”

Cobb also plans to lean on her team, which she describes as “happy but determined.”  She currently has four full-time employees, as well as her truck driver and several volunteers, renting her over the wall crew each race weekend.

Cobb, along with many drivers in the Truck Series, is battling the economy and a tight budget, splitting her time between racing on the track and trying to attract sponsors off the track.

“One of the ways that we are trying to fund our team is through T-shirt sales through driverboutique.com and drivenmale.com, both companies that I started,” Cobb said.  “If we can get support in buying a shirt, it will allow us a little profit and bring together stylish clothes for both male and female race fans.”

“Those t-shirt sales believe it or not can buy an extra tire here and there,” Cobb said.  “That’s what we’re counting on right now until we can get a bigger sponsor.”

Cobb is not only racing for herself and her own team, as well as potential sponsorship opportunities, but at ORP she will also help to make history by joining with two other female drivers in the field.

“It is pretty cool,” Cobb said.  “I have said for a long time that we’re going to see more and more women in races and in the big league.  It is nice to see the momentum starting to pick up for female drivers.”

One of those other female racers joining her at ORP is Michelle Theriault.  While she has been out of a car or truck for quite some time, Theriault will be forging an historic partnership, a six race deal with Andy Hillenburg and Fast Track Racing.

Theriault met Hillenburg several years ago as a participant in his Fast Track driving school, dating back to when she was racing in the ARCA Series.

“Right now we are planning on six races,” Theriault said of her new Truck Series partnership with Hillenburg.  “We are going to use that as a stepping stone to attract more associate sponsors and hopefully add more races at the end of the season.”

Unlike Cobb, Theriault has been at ORP before in a Pro Hooters Cup car in 2003. “Being that I have previous experience there and being comfortable the last time, I’m depending on a lot of instincts from when I was there last,” Theriault said.

Although she has experience at ORP, Theriault’s other challenge is that she has not been racing as regularly as she we would like.  Her goal is to get as much seat time as she can in practice.

“We’ll do as good as we can just getting laps and watching the other trucks out there,” Theriault said.

Theriault is also pleased with her new partnerships with sponsor VP Parts Warehouse and marketing partner Activ8 that has allowed her to race at ORP.  Activ8 principal Mike Calinoff will also be atop the spotter stand for Theriault, guiding her as she gets comfortable again in the race truck.

While Theriault is proud that she is one of the trio of women on the track in Indianapolis, she finds it most interesting that the three women represent various stages in their racing careers.

“I think the thing that is more unique is that we are at three different stages of our career,” Theriault said.  “It’s a great way to showcase to other females out there that there are still opportunities.”

“Here you have Jennifer (Cobb) who has a career and has done a lot of things in the sport.” Theriault continued.  “You have someone like myself where it is still a good part of my life and how I make my living but I’m still trying to make that name for myself and to be able to do it for a full-time career.”

“And then you have someone like Johanna (Long) who is still in high school and is having an opportunity because of all the great things she has done on the track so far,” Theriault said.  “I think it is such a unique situation and is an added bonus.”

The final member of the historic trio of women who will take to the track at ORP is Johanna Long.  The 18 year old will be making her own history as the youngest woman ever to compete in the Camping World Truck Series.

Long will also be making her debut in a race truck, behind the wheel of the No. 15 Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports.   She is, however, an accomplished racer in her own right, having won championships in the Blizzard and Gulf Coast series as well as pole honors for the Snow Ball Derby, one of the late model series most prestigious events.

“This is a great opportunity,” Long said.  “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.”

“She’s extremely talented,” Ballew said of Long.  “The series is a great venue for her to grow as a driver.”

The trio of female racers will make their historic runs on Friday, July 23rd at ORP under the lights.  The Truck Series drivers will take the green flag in the AAA Insurance 200 presented by J.D. Byrider at 8:00 PM ET, with the broadcast on SPEED and MRN.