Circle Track Stock Car — 25 October 2010


Courtesy of Johanna Long PR

NO.20 PANHANDLE MOTORSPORTS TOYOTA TUNDRA RACE RECAP


Mooresville, NC (October 24, 2010) – 18-year-old driver Johanna Long made an impressive NASCAR short track debut at Martinsville this weekend for the Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Kroger 200, the series’ final short track race of the 2010 season. Looking for a solid, clean finish in her first outing, Long started the race from the 17th position and piloted the No.20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra to a 22nd place finish – a tough feat considering close quarters racing triggered five yellow flags in the last 50 laps and a green-white-checker dash to the finish.

“For my first time at Martinsville, I’m really pleased with our finish and the effort by my team,” said Long. “We really battled hard for 200 laps, and we really learned a lot in three days of being here. Thanks to Timothy Peters for showing me some great lines on a track walk Thursday; then good practices, race runs and a good top-20 qualifying Friday; and the race today, I’m feeling pretty comfortable in the truck here. My team was amazing and they really supported me; I was really grateful to have guys like crew chief Cowboy Starland and veteran spotter Chris Lambert out there to guide me today. We’re continuing the learning experience this year, so now it’s time to prepare for Texas.”

The No. 20 Tundra ran strong all weekend. At the time she qualified on Friday, Long was second-best of the 19 trucks that had run and it continued her string of qualifying in the top 20 in all five races she’s attempted in the NCWTS this year. “We mostly did race runs, and the only problem I had was I didn’t get enough heat in the tires in qualifying – we had a lot of race notes to go through,” Long said after qualifying. After the 36-truck field finished qualifying, Long stood on the grid at 17th for race day.
Starting the race from the 17th position, Long’s progression through the field came to a stop early, as a lap eight yellow slowed the field. Long & crew chief Starland made the decision to stay out, putting Long in a secure p19 at the green flag restart on lap 13. Long noted to her crew that the car was extremely tight, but she battled through the second race caution at lap 24 by staying on the track to gain position to 15th.

Long brought the truck in for the first stop at lap 34 under the third race caution. Choosing to make a wedge adjustment, taking two rounds out; plus four tires and full refuel; Long joined the field p32 at the green on lap 45. With high water temps under the hot Martinsville sun, Long fought the good fight – logging important solid laps and gaining track position to p26 until lap 57, when the race’s fourth caution flagged was waved due to yet another truck spinout. With high water temps and a tight chassis, crew chief and driver decided to bring the truck in for adjustments. After fuel, trackbar adjustments and grill/tape cleanup on the nose, Long rejoined the field at p27 on lap 61′s green flag restart.

A fifth yellow was thrown at lap 89, with Long showing in 24th place after 30 strong green flag laps with the field. Long’s notes to the crew included that the truck was free in the corner, but it just wasn’t helping her in the exit. The team chose not to pit in order to gain track position and keep heat in the fresh tires, and Long did just that – logging a p9 restart at lap 94. A quick sixth caution went out at lap 95 due to track debris, and the field restarted green at lap 98 – with Long continuing p9.

Settling back into position for the longest green flag run of the race, Long continued at a good clip – only five-tenths off the current race leader, Todd Bodine, and his lap pace. Her feedback to the pit box was still a truck that was tight off the corners, but she continued to keep at p22 to p24 position for almost 50 laps. After a debris caution waved the yellow for the seventh time on lap 147, Long came into the pits for four tires and fuel; two rounds in the tires and a grill cleanup on lap 148. Long raced unsuccessfully for the Lucky Dog for the pit, with that title going temporarily to driver Wes Burton in the 16 truck. She re-entered the field a lap down at p23.

The eighth caution flag flew at lap 156 due to two truck spinouts, giving the No.20 Panhandle Motorsports team a chance to fight again for the Lucky Dog – this time gaining it for position. Long gained the Lucky Dog and restarted after a short pit for grill cleanup and fuel topoff at p21 on lap 173 – back on the lead lap. The field sat on the track, red flagged, from laps 165-173 due to fluid on the track from the caution.

Long battled hard for track position in the last 27 laps during the closest track racing of the day. With three yellows thrown in the last twenty laps, Long moved from 21st to 19th in just five laps. A quick run in with a spin at lap 191 had Long making a successful run to maneuver back to position in 22nd place. The 11th and final caution of the race, caused by Cody Cambensy’s spin on lap 197, set up the two-lap dash to the finish. Long held her ground to come through the checkered track stripe scored in 22nd place.
Driver Ron Hornaday, a four-time truck series champion, powered his No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet past the checker in first place. Kyle Busch ran second, followed by series points leader Todd Bodine, Jason White and Aric Almirola. Mike Skinner, David Starr, Stacy Compton, Ricky Carmichael and Matt Crafton completed the top 10. Long will attempt her next NCWTS start at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3rd, 2010.

STATS RECAP
October 23, 2010
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Kroger 200
Race: 21 of 25
Driver: Johanna Long
Started: 17th
Finished: 22nd
Race length: 200 laps/102.5 miles (race finish was actually 206 laps due to green-white-checker)
Banking: 12-degrees in turns
0-degrees on straight-a-ways
Track layout: .526 mile
Shape: Oval
Number of Race Cautions: 11

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