TRUCKS: Long To Debut For Ballew At ORP

Camping World Trucks

TRUCKS: Long To Debut For Ballew At ORP

Johanna Long is set to make her first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearance at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 23...

Media Release | Posted June 29, 2010 Mooresville, NC

Johanna Long returns to the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota at Nashville. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Billy Ballew Motorsports (BBM) announced Tuesday that Pensacola, Fla., native Johanna Long will make her NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 23. Long will drive the No. 15 Toyota Tundra in the AAA Insurance 200. It will be Long’s first event in one of NASCAR’s top three series.

Long has already collected an impressive list of racing accomplishments. At only 18 years old, she touts Late Model championships in the Blizzard Series and Gulf Coast Series from the 2009 season. Long won five of the 36 events she ran en route to her championships and captured the pole for the esteemed Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in 2009. Long also competed in two ARCA events last season.

Billy Ballew, team owner of BBM, anticipates Long to continue a successful progression as she takes her first step into the NCWTS.

“I’m really excited to have Johanna in our truck at ORP,” said Ballew. “She’s extremely talented and has been very successful up to this point. The Truck Series is a great venue for her to grow as a driver. She’s got all the tools to be successful, and I think this will be a good opportunity for her to develop her talent.”

BBM has a history of opening doors for young, up-and-coming drivers. Ballew has fielded winning trucks for such young drivers as Shane Hmiel, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola. He also helped jump-start the stock car career of Brian Ickler, and most recently Nelson Piquet Jr. Long sees her inaugural NCWTS race with BBM as an opportunity to mature as a driver.

NASCAR Race Hub airs Monday-Thursday on SPEED. (Image: SPEED)

“This is a great opportunity,” Long said. “Billy Ballew Motorsports has great people and great equipment. I’m looking forward to working with the team. This will be my first Truck Series race, so of course it will be an adjustment. Billy’s guys have been very successful helping other up-and-coming drivers transition into NASCAR. I’m really excited to have the chance to learn from them and race with some of the best drivers in motorsports.”

Long tested with BBM last week at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. The .455-mile paved oval has similar characteristics to O’Reilly Raceway Park and helped prepare Long for the race ahead. The session was Long’s first opportunity to drive a NASCAR race truck. Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 51 BBM truck, was on hand to coach Long as she navigated the track.

Long will test this week at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. Long and her No. 15 team will test for two days at the half-mile paved speedway.

Although her schedule is not confirmed, Long anticipates racing more NCWTS events with BBM following the race at ORP as part of a multi-race developmental program.

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