Long wins Snowball Derby

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Johanna Long was beaming from ear to ear in Victory Lane on Sunday night after winning the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, becoming just the second female to win the event nicknamed the "Super Bowl of Short Track Racing" for Super Late Models.

After years of driving on her home track in Pensacola and winning the prestigious 2009 Blizzard Series championship, the 18-year-old reached another aspiration in her third appearance in the Snowball Derby. With spotter Mike Herman Jr. cheering her on -- "Drive the two laps you've driven here a million times. This is your race!" -- Long passed Landon Cassill with two laps to go to join Tammy Jo Kirk (1994) as the only female winners of the event.

Long, who made her NASCAR national series debut in 2010 with seven starts in the Camping World Truck Series, joins the likes of Pete Hamilton (1974), Donnie Allison (1975), Darrell Waltrip (1976), Jody Ridley (1985), Butch Miller (1987), Ted Musgrave (1988), Rick Crawford (1989), Steve Wallace (2004) and Kyle Busch (2009) as Snowball Derby winners.

"What a night, what a weekend, what a year, " Long said. "This is what I've dreamed of ever since I became a racer. It is my family's dream, and I couldn't have done it with my dad, my mom and sisters, my aunts and uncles and grandparents -- all of whom were supporting us in the paddock [Sunday night]. I'm speechless, and it's the best Christmas present I could ever get. My nephew Gage was born [Sunday], as well, so we are joking that if we weren't a racing family before -- wow -- we really are now! After a long learning year in the Truck Series, it was awesome to come back to my home track and get this done. I can't wait to see what's next."

Long posted three top-20 finishes with one top-10 starting position in the Truck Series. She hopes to race for a full rookie season in 2011.

Long started fourth in the Snowball Derby, covering the half-mile track with a qualifying run of 16.420 seconds in the No. 10 Panhandle Paving & Grading entry, led by crew chief Kevin "Cowboy" Starland and a combination of her NASCAR and family run Super Late Model Pensacola crew. Solid practice runs and a 12th-place finish the day prior in the Snowflake 100 while working through tough wind conditions and cool temps had Long ready for the 300-lap race.

Competition between the top 10 started on Lap 1. In early jockeying for position, Long rallied between fourth and first during the first 38 laps -- trading track position with Mike Garvey until the race's first of 14 caution flags was thrown for a wreck in Turn 4. After relaying to the crew on needed adjustments, Long kept a cool head and a top-10 spot in the field until the first pit on Lap 87. Rolling off 12th from the first pit after taking four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, the team reconvened on pit and fuel strategy for the remaining 213 laps -- knowing the sun was quickly going behind the Turn 4 stands.

Following an impressive front five for the next 40 laps, including race favorites Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth, Long once again held her own to take down cars, and laps, one by one -- gaining ground to the fifth position by Lap 145. Knowing they had to stretch lap tires to at least Lap 190 under green, Starland, Long and Herman made the call to watch the race leaders and stay conservative in the pack.

After four cautions within 30 laps and a massive wreck in Turn 1 on Lap 176 that resulted in a red flag, the team knew it was time to come in on the next caution lap. The veteran pit crew was able to push Long through a tricky, tight pit stall and get her out first for the restart at Lap 192. Battling for 38 laps with Kenseth for the top position, Long narrowly escaped a scuffle between two cars at Lap 230. On Lap 247, Long restarted in fourth position and jockeyed to third by Lap 275. Knowing the team desperately needed tires -- as Long was digging hard to wheel through a field with fresh tires in the top five -- they waited to see if another caution flag would be thrown.

Falling to seventh in the field, Long finally got her wish with six laps to go -- coming in for fresh tires and fuel that helped her motor through the extra laps in the race. In a dramatic finish under Snowball Derby rules, Long brought it home in a dramatic five-lap green flag finish as she wheeled past the top six cars, taking them down one at a time.