Amber Balcaen (born March 7, 1992) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 70 Toyota Camry for Nitro Motorsports.

Racing career

Early career 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.

Balcaen 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.

Chili Bowl Nationals Balcaen competed in the 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals.

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 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. 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.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Balcaen made her NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut in 2017, driving at New Smyrna Speedway for Martin-McClure Racing. 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.

CARS Super Late Model Tour 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.

On March 21, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Balcaen would 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 fourteenth at Motor Mile.

POWRi Midget Racing In 2020, Balcaen 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.

ARCA Menards Series West 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.

ARCA Menards Series

Rette Jones Racing (2022) On January 3, 2022, Rette Jones Racing announced Balcaen would run the full upcoming ARCA Menards Series season. She would earn six top-tens throughout the season, and finish seventh in the final point standings.

Venturini Motorsports (2023–2024) On January 12, 2023, it was announced that Balcaen would join Venturini Motorsports for the 2023 season, running the races at Daytona and Talladega. She would also run the first race at Kansas. She earned a career-best finish of 6th at Daytona.

On January 9, 2024, it was announced that Balcaen would run full-time for VMS in the 2024 season, driving the No. 22 car. 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. She would tie her career-best finish of sixth in the Reese's 150 and ended the year sixth in the final standings.

Nitro Motorsports (2025) On January 9, 2025, it was announced that Balcaen would compete part-time for Nitro Motorsports in the 2025 season, beginning with the season opener at Daytona. Balcaen would set the fastest time in the annual pre-practice.

Personal life 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.

Filmography

Television YearTitleRoleNotes2017Cars That RockHerself (co-host)2018Fins & Skins Classic AdventuresHerself (guest)2019Racing WivesHerself

Motorsports career results

ARCA Menards Series (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 Pts Ref 2022 Rette Jones Racing 30 Ford DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT IOW BLN ELK MOH POC IRP MCH GLN MLW KAN BRI SLM TOL 7th 774 Toyota ISF DSF 2023 Venturini Motorsports 15 Toyota DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT BLN ELK MOH IOW POC MCH IRP GLN ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL 53rd 73 2024 22 DAY PHO TAL DOV KAN CLT IOW MOH BLN IRP SLM ELK MCH ISF MLW DSF GLN BRI KAN TOL 6th 786 2025 Nitro Motorsports 70 Toyota DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT MCH BLN ELK LRP DOV IRP IOW GLN ISF MAD DSF BRI SLM KAN TOL 87th 43

ARCA Menards Series East ARCA Menards Series East results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Ref 2017 Martin-McClure Racing 39 ToyotaNSM GRE BRI SBO SBO MEM BLN TMP NHA IOW GLN LGY NJM DOV 68th 24 2022 Rette Jones Racing 30 Ford NSM FIF DOV NSV IOW MLW BRI 17th 127 2024 Venturini Motorsports 22 Toyota FIF DOV NSV FRS IOW IRP MLWBRI 19th 168

ARCA Menards Series West ARCA Menards Series West resultsYearTeamNo.Make123456789101112PtsRef2021Bill McAnally Racing19ToyotaPHOSONIRWCNSIRWPIRLVSAASPHO25th842022Rette Jones Racing30Ford PHOIRWKCRPIRSONIRWEVGPIRAASLVSPHO67th14 2024 Venturini Motorsports 22 Toyota PHO KER PIR SON IRW IRW SHA TRI MAD AAS KER PHO 59th 29

CARS Super Late Model Tour (key) CARS Super Late Model Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pts Ref 2018 N/A 4B Toyota MYB NSH ROU HCY BRI AND HCY28 ROU SBO 51st 5 2019 Kyle Busch Motorsports 51B Toyota SNM HCY NSH MMS14 BRI HCY ROU SBO 39th 19

References

External links