Long, ML Motorsports 19th In Nationwide Race At Iowa
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STAFF & AP REPORTS-
NEWTON, Iowa — For the sixth time in her last seven NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, Johanna Long drove the No. 70 Chevy to a top 20 finish. Long, in her second season with Warsaw-based ML Motorsports, started 21st and finished 19th in Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. The Pensacola, Fla., native has made four starts at Iowa Speedway, finishing 22nd or better each time. Long has made 13 Nationwide Series starts this season for ML Motorsports, with her best finish of 12th coming at Iowa in June. Running a partial schedule, Long and ML Motorsports are scheduled to be in action again Sept. 6 at Richmond International Raceway. Brad Keselowski won Saturday’s race, followed in the top five by Sam Hornish Jr., Brian Vickers, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson. Drew Herring finished sixth, while Alex Bowman, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Gifford and Trevor Bayne rouded out the top 10. Keselowski had to overcome a 1,000-mile flight, a pit row violation and an overheating engine just to earn a shot at the lead. Once Keselowski got his chance, it became perfectly clear who the only Sprint Cup regular in the field was, as he took control with 35 laps left remaining en route to the win. The defending Sprint Cup champion has won in his last three Nationwide starts, also topping the field at Richmond in April and Kentucky in June. Keselowski flew in Saturday afternoon from Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, where NASCAR's top series will race on Sunday. Keselowski was then sent to the back after a tire flew outside the box on an early pit stop, and engine issues threatened to derail him about halfway through the race. Keselowski persevered though, emerging with his second win in four tries on Iowa's .875-mile oval. "As a driver, those are probably some of the most difficult moments knowing you have a fast race car and knowing that circumstances are playing against you," Keselowski said.
