From Wreckers to Checkers; Johanna Takes Five Flags Win
Not Even a Practice Crash Can Keep Long from Record-Setting Performance in Pensacola
could’ve been a disastrous night into a record-setting showing for Long.
The team made the necessary repairs after the practice crash to allow Long to set a new Pro Late Model track record in qualifying and then lead all 40 laps, making Friday a night the young racer, nor her fans, will soon forget.
“That was surprising to have such a good race after what happened in practice,” said Long. “The guy spun right in front of me and I had nowhere to go in practice. We had to put on a new fender, new door and everything during practice, and we only got a few laps on the track.
“Then to go out there and set the track record, that’s something I wanted for a long time. We ran .30’s and .40’s those two laps we got in practice, so I told my brother-in-law that I thought we could run a .98 in qualifying. Sure enough, I ran a .98 and set the record. That was pretty cool.”
The track record-setting lap in practice was only a precursor to the dominating performance that Long would continue throughout the 40-lap feature, as she led every lap en route to victory lane, a place Long has visited twice already this season in her #10 Super Late Model during the Blizzard Series events.
Long currently sits second in Blizzard Series’ points going into the final regular-season Super Late Model race of the year at Five Flags on Friday, September 25th, which meant that the Pro Late Model win Friday night came at just the right time to boost the young driver’s confidence.
“That was a confidence builder, definitely. I really wanted to prove that I can still win at my home track. Just finishing second in points will be a good deal for us. I’ve been running really well this year, and I want to keep running well there in the Blizzard race because you’re racing against the best out there, and it’d mean a lot to run well again.”
The victory capped off a big week for the Pensacola, Florida, native, as earlier in the week, D’Hondt Motorsports and team owner Eddie D’Hondt announced that Long would make her ARCA RE/MAX Series debut for the team in the October 11th American 200 at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina, which will be the young racer's second ARCA start.
Long will next be on track in the Blizzard Series’ season finale, the Miller Lite 100, at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola on Friday, September 25th.
When another competitor spun in front of Johanna Long, causing damage to the front-end of her #10 Pro Late Model during practice for Friday night’s 40-lap feature at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, all hopes seemed dashed for a strong showing - not just for the 17-year-old Long, but her Panhandle Motorsports team and the driver’s legions of fans at the track.
But neither Long nor her teammates hung their heads, and the fans’ support never wavered, as the evening went on at Five Flags, turning what
Jo took another win at Five Flags in the Pro Late Model ranks. (51 Sports Photo)
