18-year old makes first run at 1.5-mile track; hosts largest gathering of Girl Scouts in Speedway history at Victory Theater in Samsung Mobile Infield Media Center

Photo credit: Steve Bechtel

Mooresville, NC (November 1, 2010) -  NASCAR driver Johanna Long, 18, fresh off a strong lead-lap, 22nd place finish in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, is setting her sights on competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ next race – the Winstar World Casino 300 at Texas Motor Speedway “under the lights” on Friday, November 5th. Driving the #20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra on the track, Johanna is also taking time to make history off the track – hosting the largest gathering of Girl Scouts ever recorded at Texas Motor Speedway on qualifying night.  Long will be hosting upwards of 150 Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains in Victory Theater at the Samsung Mobile Infield Media Center on Thursday evening to talk about achieving dreams.

Long will also take on four of the local Girl Scouts as “honorary pit crew” members for the team at the Winstar World Casino 350.  Johanna will speak to the girls on Thursday about her journey in motorsports, hard work and determination in whatever they choose to do in life.  She will also have her “honorary pit crew” members cross the stage with her at driver introductions. 

“We have an amazing relationship with the Girl Scouts this year, and it has been a blast to be able to talk to them in each city,” said Long. “What an awesome sense of community and support they have – it’s an instant family.  The girls I met in Martinsville were amazing and supported each other in the midst of parents losing jobs in a down economy.  I know that we’ll have that same instant family in Texas, and I look forward to meeting the girls and learning their stories.”

Photo Credit: Paul Heath

Long will make her sixth career NCWTS start at Texas, while juggling a career in Late Models & the upcoming legendary Snowball Derby.  A native of Pensacola, Fla., she began her racing career in go-karts at eight years old and then moved on to Legends cars. She then made the big jump to the Pro Late Model division as a 15-year-old at her home track of Five Flags Speedway. She posted three wins and became the youngest track champion – in the long history of Five Flags Speedway. She won at other tracks as well enhancing her racing reputation and move up another level to the Super Late Model division where she competed against and often beat her father Donald, an accomplished racer in the now-defunct All-Pro Series.

This season she made another major jump in the racing ranks, moving to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Panhandle Motorsports. Long is running a limited schedule that includes the Nov. 5 WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. She currently (through Oct. 26) has made five starts in the series with a best finish of 17th at Indianapolis Raceway Park. She also has qualified among the top 20 in all five of her starts.

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“Coming off a solid finish in Martinsville – something we needed to do – I’m feeling really positive about Texas,” Long said. “We’re just taking it one step at a time in the Truck Series – I’m only 18, and I really need to learn every single one of these tracks.  I’m thankful every day for the opportunity to be at any racetrack, and I really want to run a full Rookie season next year.  We’re looking for sponsorship support, like so many teams, but we’ve got a lot of faith and a lot of positivity in our camp.”
 
ABOUT DRIVER JOHANNA LONG & PANHANDLE MOTORSPORTS:
Johanna Long, 18, is the youngest driver in the elite NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  Her career to date has included racing in NCWTS in 2010 with family race team Panhandle Motorsports in Las Vegas; as well as three starts with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the NCWTS; and two starts in 2009 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Former Blizzard Series Champion on the Gulf Coast & driver since the age of five, Long has caught the eyes of many top teams over the years as an “up-and-coming” teen driver. For more information, please visit www.JohannaLong.com, Facebook: http://bit.ly/bglf8H or Twitter: http://twitter.com/JOHANNALONG.

ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS OF TEXAS OKLAHOMA PLAINS COUNCIL:
Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains is a leadership program for girls that develops life skills in business, science, and technology; provides adventures and challenges in sports, the environment, and the great outdoors; and encourages girls to give back to their communities through service projects conducted locally, across the United States, and internationally.  Visit www.gs-top.org for more information.