Now, the recently-turned 21-year-old woman, a blossoming NASCAR star on the Nationwide Series, returns to the famed half-mile oval tonight not knowing exactly what to expect.

As Long prepared her Super Late Model on Thursday afternoon for the first practice for tonight’s Pepsi Max 125, she wondered what would be the biggest mystery: the car or a track that was modified since she last raced at during the 45th annual Snowball Derby last December?

“I’m expecting it to be fast,� Long, the winner of that instant classic 2010 Derby, said. “I’m sure it’s gonna drive a little bit differently than it did in December. I bet it’ll be slick, but you’ll still have to save tires.�

She gets her first legitimate look when qualifying begins at approximately 6:30 tonight. The gates open at 5 p.m. today.

While the SLMs always thrill Five Flags fans, the Sportsman will battle for an extended 35 laps tonight with $750 on the line for the winner. Motorcycles and Bombers are also a part of the evening’s festivities.

Admission is as follows: $15 adults; $12 seniors, military and students; $5 children 6-11; and free under-6.

The speedway isn’t the only change that has happened since Long began her second season in Nationwide back in February.

Tonight is the second of four Blizzard Series races this season. All are a part of the Southern Super Series, a traveling circuit for SLMs that hit the southeast’s much-renowned short tracks.

Long has raced in just one of the six to date, finishing a respectable seventh in Montgomery — perhaps ironic to this week, a track she had never laid eyes on.

“Every year it gets bigger and bigger,� Long said of the SLM division. “With the Southern Super Series, everyone’s stepping up. Everyone wants to put on a great show and try to make Super Late Models as big as they can be.

“It’s cool to see something you grew up watching at Five Flags get bigger and bigger every year.�

Perhaps a subconscious realization that, while, sure, her career has many laps to go, she’s old enough to look back in her rearview with cherished memories.

This week Long got to cherish her extended family. While “mom and dad go to all the races,� Long doesn’t get to enjoy her grandparents and cousins quite as often.

She, of course, did her duty as an indigenous Pensacolian and spent a few days this week at the beach.

But when she talked by phone Thursday afternoon, she was all business. It was less than an hour before she’d get used to the new — “slicker� to use her words — Five Flags.

“We’ll race hard, and I’ll give it 110 percent, but it depends on how good the car is,� Long said. “I won’t give up on the race, though. Hopefully, we’ll end up on the good side.�

Such has been the case in her last two Nationwide starts.

At Iowa, she equaled her top career finish, coming home 12th for the fourth time in two years.

In Michigan the week after, Long scored a respectable 18th.

Asked if her back-to-back top-20s have created some momentum for her No. 70 team, and Long delivers a simple, but firm “I hope so."

“The season started rough for us,� she continued. “I feel like we might’ve gotten the monkey off our back.�

The new girl in town hopes the good karma continues tonight in her homecoming at the revamped Five Flags.

“Pensacola will always be my home. I’ll always call Pensacola home,� she repeated to reassure her loyal legion of Longites back in her backyard.