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Canadian racing driver From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amber Balcaen (born March 7, 1992) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. She competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 22 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. She is most known for being the first Canadian woman to win in a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States.
| Amber Balcaen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Balcaen at Iowa in 2024 | |||||||
| Born | March 7, 1992 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | ||||||
| NASCAR Canada Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 54th (2023) | ||||||
| First race | 2023 Pinty's Fall Brawl (Delaware Speedway) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Freshstone Dirt Classic (Ohsweken) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| 43 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| ARCA no., team | No. 22 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| Best finish | 6th (2024) | ||||||
| First race | 2022 Lucas Oil 200 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Owens Corning 200 (Toledo) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series East career | |||||||
| 9 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| ARCA East no., team | No. 22 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| Best finish | 19th (2024) | ||||||
| First race | 2017 Jet Tools 150 (New Smyrna) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Bush's Beans 20 (Bristol) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Menards Series West career | |||||||
| 5 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| ARCA West no., team | No. 22 (Venturini Motorsports) | ||||||
| Best finish | 25th (2021) | ||||||
| First race | 2021 NAPA Auto Parts 150 (Irwindale) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of October 7, 2024. | |||||||
Balcaen began racing at ten years old, driving go-karts in several dirt tracks around North Dakota. At sixteen years old, she bought her first lightning sprint car and became the first female driver to win in a dirt track racing championship in Manitoba.
Amber made her Northern Outlaw Sprint Association debut in 2014, for a full-time schedule. She won Rookie of the Year that season and became the highest finishing female in Northern Outlaw Sprint Association History.[1]
Balcaen competed in the 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals.[2]
Balcaen got the attention of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and drove in the 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (now NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). That year, she made history as she became the first female Canadian driver to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States, winning at Motor Mile Speedway.[3][4] She earned eleven top fives in her first season, giving her Rookie of the Year honors. She went on to win at the same track a year later, getting her second overall series win.
Balcaen made her NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut in 2017, driving at New Smyrna Speedway for Martin-McClure Racing.[5] She started 21st and finished 20th, after getting involved in a late race wreck. She had a spark plug wire come off her car, which resulted in a penalty, putting her six laps down.[6]
Balcaen made her first start in the CARS Super Late Model Tour in 2018, driving the No. 4 for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Hickory Motor Speedway. Balcaen started 26th and finished 28th, after being involved in an early race wreck.[7]
On March 21, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Balcaen will drive two late model races in 2019, the Pro All Star Series race at Hickory Motor Speedway, and the CARS Super Late Model Tour race at Motor Mile Speedway. Balcaen started 22nd finished 14th at Motor Mile.[8]
In 2020, she competed in the POWRi Midget Racing Series, failing to qualify for most of the races. She was only able to qualify for two races, finishing 22nd and 12th respectively. On July 11, 2020, Balcaen was involved in a serious wreck at the Valley Speedway, after she got loose in turn 4, causing her sprint car to go off course, and flip multiple times into a fence. Balcaen suffered collapsed lungs, a severe concussion, and several burns to her arms. She was immediately taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. She wasn't released for three days, and had her racing career put on hold for about three months.[9]
Balcaen made her first ARCA Menards Series West start for Bill McAnally Racing at Irwindale Speedway in 2021, finishing 15th. She made two more starts that season, finishing 11th and 22nd at Irwindale and Las Vegas respectively.
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On January 3, 2022, Rette Jones Racing announced Balcaen would run the full upcoming ARCA Menards Series season.[10] She would earn six top tens throughout the season, and finish 7th in the final point standings.[11]
On January 12, 2023, it was announced that Balcaen will join Venturini Motorsports for the 2023 season, running the races at Daytona and Talladega.[12] She earned a career-best finish of 6th at Daytona.
On January 9, 2024, it was announced that Balcaen will run full-time for VMS in the 2024 season, driving the No. 22 car.[13] During the 2024 General Tire 150 at Dover, on lap 75, Balcaen was trying to avoid Christian Rose, who had hit the wall due to a flat tire. However, due to Dover's self-cleaning design, her car spun and also hit the wall. She required assistance to exit the car and left the track on a stretcher, due to a non-displaced fracture in the third metatarsal of her left foot. She was able to avoid missing any races by driving with a carbon fiber plate in her left shoe.[14]
Balcaen was the co-host of the TV series "Cars That Rock" with AC/DC band member, Brian Johnson. She is also a motivational speaker, who is currently helping other people from around the world achieve their goals in life. In 2019, she was a main cast member of the NASCAR reality show, Racing Wives, on CMT. She was a spokesperson for Canada's biggest automotive company, Kal Tire, during a winter campaign.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Car's That Rock | Herself (co-host) | |
| 2018 | Fins & Skins Classic Adventures | Herself (guest) | |
| 2019 | Racing Wives | Herself | |
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2022 | Rette Jones Racing | 30 | Ford | DAY 16 |
PHO 30 |
TAL 12 |
KAN 9 |
CLT 7 |
IOW 10 |
BLN 11 |
ELK 17 |
MOH 15 |
POC 21 |
IRP 21 |
MCH 18 |
GLN 19 |
MLW 14 |
KAN 8 |
BRI 31 |
SLM 9 |
TOL 10 |
7th | 774 | [11] | ||
| Toyota | ISF 14 |
DSF 14 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Venturini Motorsports | 15 | Toyota | DAY 6 |
PHO | TAL 31 |
KAN 22 |
CLT | BLN | ELK | MOH | IOW | POC | MCH | IRP | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | 53rd | 73 | [15] |
| 2024 | 22 | DAY 9 |
PHO 15 |
TAL 7 |
DOV 20 |
KAN 8 |
CLT 15 |
IOW 24 |
MOH 16 |
BLN 10 |
IRP 13 |
SLM 24 |
ELK 12 |
MCH 10 |
ISF 8 |
MLW 20 |
DSF 11 |
GLN 29 |
BRI 25 |
KAN 6 |
TOL 13 |
6th | 786 | [16] | ||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2017 | Martin-McClure Racing | 39 | Toyota | NSM 20 |
GRE | BRI | SBO | SBO | MEM | BLN | TMP | NHA | IOW | GLN | LGY | NJM | DOV | 68th | 24 | [17] |
| 2022 | Rette Jones Racing | 30 | Ford | NSM | FIF | DOV | NSV | IOW 10 |
MLW 14 |
BRI 31 |
21st | 77 | [18] | |||||||
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 22 | Toyota | FIF | DOV 20 |
NSV | FRS | IOW 24 |
IRP 13 |
MLW 20 |
BRI 25 |
19th | 118 | [19] | ||||||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2021 | Bill McAnally Racing | 19 | Toyota | PHO | SON | IRW 15 |
CNS | IRW 11 |
PIR | LVS 22 |
AAS | PHO | 25th | 84 | [20] | |||
| 2022 | Rette Jones Racing | 30 | Ford | PHO 30 |
IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS | PHO | 67th | 14 | [21] | |
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 22 | Toyota | PHO 15 |
KER | PIR | SON | IRW | IRW | SHA | TRI | MAD | AAS | KER | PHO | 59th | 29 | [22] |
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