Johanna Long Returns to NXS; Team Hopes Hot Pink is the Ticket to Sponsorship Green.
East Spencer, NC: Affarano Motorsports is set to make its NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with driver Johanna Long behind the wheel of the teams’ No. 03 Chevy Camaro. The ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway will mark Long’s return to the series.
“When I first approached Johanna about driving for us, we sat down and discussed what tracks we felt she could best perform at and Richmond was one of the ones at the top of the list,” according to team owner Mike Affarano. Long has four NXS starts at Richmond including a best start of 8th with consistent Top 20 finishes.
“I can’t wait to get back to the track,” says Long. “Mike and everyone at Affarano Motorsports has worked so hard to get the cars ready. Everything’s in place except the sponsorship. Hopefully, we’ll have a strong run and people will see how much potential this team has and will come on board to sponsor us.”
While this season will be Affarano Motorsports’ first in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the team has a long history, having made its start on the short tracks of Illinois. Affarano continued to grow his operation, competing in the ARCA Series before last years’ ascension to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
“Mike’s been racing for a long time,” notes Long. “He’s made some great connections in the sport, which has allowed us to work with some of the biggest names in the sport in preparing the cars. The equipment is great. We just need some sponsors to support us.”
Adds Affarano, “In an ideal situation, Johanna would’ve opened the season in Daytona and we’d be running for points. However, since we were unable to secure the sponsorship we needed, we’ve been forced to be very selective of which races to compete in.” The team is actively seeking both primary and associate sponsorship for the remainder of this year and beyond.
“I am confident Johanna will be competitive,” Affarano continued. “She has a very loyal and supportive fan base that is anxious to see her back in the series. Everything is coming
together, we’ve just got to find marketing partners that realize what a great platform we can offer and how beneficial working with Johanna can be for them.”
“One thing is for sure,” Affarano grinned, “folks will have a hard time missing Johanna out on the track, as far as I know, she’ll be the only one driving in a Hot Pink, Chevy Camaro.”
MIKE AFFARANO’S THOUGHTS ON RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: “There’re two things about Richmond that stick out in my mind- lots of history and lots of action. It’s a great track and it’s really great that we can back our series debut at a track like that.”
JOHANNA LONG’S THOUGHTS ON RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: “I really like Richmond and have been fortunate to have had some good runs there. It’s a great place to go to for Affarano Motorsports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series debut and for my return to NXS action.”
For more information on Affarano Motorsports, visit www.affaranomotorsports.com.
