INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 23, 2010) – Johanna Long came a long way in 200 laps.  In her NASCAR Camping World Series debut, Long demonstrated a knack for stock car racing in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park. She proved to be a quick study and showed she is ready to race with the series’ top talent. Long finished the night in 17^th-place.

Long qualified her Toyota Tundra in 15^th-place.  On the first green flag run, Long worked to settle into her truck and find the racing groove that suited her best.  Her truck became “way too tight through the center.” The caution flag waved on Lap 85 and gave her crew an opportunity to correct the handling.  They changed her tires, topped off the fuel cell and made a track bar adjustment. She returned to the track in 23^rd-place.

Green flag action returned on Lap 91.  Long’s lap times improved considerably and became more consistent on the ensuing run. Long picked up two positions, moving up to 21^st-place before the next caution halted the pace on Lap 141. She made a trip down pit lane where her crew performed routine service on the No. 15 Tundra and sent her back on the track. She rejoined the field in 22^nd-place.

The field took the green on Lap 148.  Long continued to show a growing aptitude of the NCWTS and clicked off five positions before taking the checkers. She finished in 17^th-place.

“Our truck was really good tonight,” said Long. “On our first run, I was trying to learn the truck and get a feel for the track.  I made a lot of mistakes that put us back in the field.  I felt a lot more comfortable as the race went on, though.  I wish we could have restarted it at Lap 100.  My crew did an awesome job and I’m really glad that I get to work with them.  I can’t wait to hit the track in Nashville.”

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 23, 2010) – Aric Almirola’s streak of good finishes at O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP) came to a disappointing end Friday night after starting the AAA Insurance 200 with much higher ambitions.  The No. 51 Zyclara Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota retired from the race early after contact with competitors put him into the wall of the Indianapolis short track.

Almirola came to ORP with a top-five and a top-10 finish in three starts at the .686-mile oval, and the No. 51 Tundra’s performance in practice and qualifying (starting eighth) had the team expecting another strong outing.  Unfortunately, Almirola reported handling problems with the truck shortly after taking the green flag, saying the truck was “tight everywhere” and did not feel the same way it felt earlier in the day.  Crew chief Richie Wauters began making big adjustments early, as the team worked to give Almirola a truck that could push back toward the front.

After multiple pit stops and running in the 18^th position near the half-way point of the race, the team was about to make another big adjustment when Almirola got collected in a three-truck crash  that put the No. 51 Tundra into the wall and out of the race.

“It wasn’t the same truck that we started with at the first practice, or the second practice,” Almirola said.  “I don’t know. We were struggling, we were racing for 20th.  I don’t know what spot we were racing for, but it was bad. 

 “We were a lap down just trying to work on our truck and get it competitive with 100 laps to go.  The 60 (Narain Karthikeyan) kept running into me every time.  This place is as wide as they come for short tracks.  Just pick a lane.”

 Despite the disappointing finish, Almirola is still second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship standings.  He will be back behind the wheel of the No. 51 Zyclara Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota next weekend when the CWTS heads to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.  The Pocono Mountains 125 will air at 12:30 p.m. ET on SPEED.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 19, 2010) – The AAA Insurance will mark Johanna Long’s debut in one of NASCAR’s top-three series.  The Pensacola, Fla., native will drive the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports (BBM) Toyota Tundra at the famed O’Reilly Raceway Park in her first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series outing.

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.

Long has tested with BBM twice.  She worked with the No. 15 team at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway and Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park (GMP) in preparation for her inaugural NASCAR race. While at GMP, Long clicked off the fastest lap time at the half-mile asphalt oval. Her time of 17.218 seconds was the quickest among NASCAR’s top-three series since the facility was repaved last season.

Long will carry the colors of John Andretti’s Race 4 Riley event on the hood of her truck. Thanks to people like John Andretti and Dave Wilson, and their support of Riley Hospital for Children, we’re one step closer to every child having an equal chance of growing to adulthood. The three-day Race 4 Riley event begins on Wednesday, July 21 with donations going to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Long Comments on the AAA Insurance 200:

“I’m really excited to go racing trucks.  I’ve been racing Late Models my whole life and this is the next step.  I’m ready to take it.

“After a few test sessions, I’ve learned that Late Models are a lot different than trucks. Late Models are a lot lighter, and when you go in the corners, you can slam on the brakes and turn the car wherever it needs to go. You have to be a little easier in the trucks. They’re a little lazy.  You have to let off the gas and then start turning it. It’s a lot different to get used to.

“I’ve been to ORP before in Late Model competition.  It’s an awesome race track. It’s definitely a racer’s track. The turns are really wide, so you’re all over the place. I did pretty well with my Late Model, so I’m excited to go back.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 19, 2010) – Aric Almirola comes into this week’s AAA Insurance 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP) second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship standings, 101 points behind leader Todd Bodine. Given Almirola’s history at the .686-mile race track, this week’s event is a prime opportunity for his No. 51 Graceway Zyclara team to narrow the gap.

Almirola has one top-five finish (third-place, 2009) and one top-10 (10^th-place, 2005) in three NCWTS starts at ORP. His third-place run at ORP last season marked the best-ever finish by Billy Ballew Motorsports at the venue. Almirola has avoided the attrition typically associated with the rough and tumble short track, completing 99.8% of the laps in events he’s entered.  

Almirola Comments on AAA Insurance 200:

“I’ve always had a lot of success at ORP. I’ve finished third (2009) and 10^th (2005) in the Truck Series and got a pole (2007) there in the Nationwide Series. I love the race track.  It’s a lot of fun to race on.  It’s a short track, but it races like a big track. You can race way up the track, against the fence, or you can race on the bottom.  It’s under the lights, which is always a plus. It makes for a lot of exciting racing and the fans get an awesome show.  I love racing there.

“You go into ORP knowing that you’re going to have a few donuts on the side of your truck by the end of the night. You’ll probably have a few fender benders, too. I expect our Graceway Zyclara Tundra to have a few scuffs by the time the checkered flag waves. There’s so much side-by-side action that it’s nearly impossible to not make contact with someone before the night’s over.

“ORP is one-day show.  We’ll practice, qualify and race on Friday.  When you have that format, there’s not a lot of time to figure out any handling issues.  It’s important to unload a quick truck and your adjustments have to be on the money.  There’s no time for mistakes.  Fortunately, those have been strong points for Billy Ballew Motorsports team this year.  I expect it to be a solid day for our team.”