PENSACOLA, FL :: Johanna Long enters the 46th Snowball Derby hoping to make a statement.  The 21-year-old Pensacola native finds herself without a ride next season and a second victory in the Snowball Derby could boost her chances of securing a ride next season.

Long won the Snowball Derby in 2010 and will start Sunday’s race in 23rd position.  She finished 15th in the Snowflake 100 on Saturday night and feels pumped up about her chances on Sunday.

“I feel like the car’s pretty good,” Long said.  “We didn’t really struggle but we were just a little tight in the corner the longer we ran.  I feel like we’re going to be in good shape Freddy and the guys have been working really hard on this car.  I’m really pumped up about it.”

With a change in the weather from Saturday to Sunday, Long feels patience and strategy will be a factor in the 300-lap race.

“You just can’t get flustered,” Long remarked.  “It’s a long 300 laps.  The fastest car doesn’t always win the race so you’re just going to have to stay on top of it all day long, make changes and see where it leads.”

Long said that her 2010 Snowball Derby victory meant a lot to her to win America’s most prestigious short track race in her hometown in front of her family.

“It meant a lot to me just to know my whole family is here and supporting me,” Long explained.  “My dad raced this race for 13 years and never won.  For him to win it with me and for all of us to be together meant a lot.  My papa, he always watched my dad race this race and he was there in victory lane for the last Snowball Derby he could attend.  That was really cool to be a part of and, thinking back, everything happens for a reason.  For him being in victory lane would mean more than anything.”

After Sunday’s race, Long will continue to look ahead to the future.  The past couple seasons, she’s been competing part time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for ML Motorsports.  Out of that ride, Long finds herself without a ride in NASCAR in 2014.

“I don’t have anything next year right now,” she commented.  “We’re talking to a lot of sponsors and we’re talking to some teams.  We’re just trying to figure out what’s best for me and trying to decide what we need to do to better my career and go from there.  Right now, I don’t have anything and hopefully you’ll see me in NASCAR.”

For now, Johanna Long’s sights are set on winning the 46th Snowball Derby.