“Never Had a Plan B” – 31-Yo Arca Star Dissects Her Troubled Return to Racing With Venturini Motorsports

Over the years, it’s been a rising trend to see more and more female racers make their way into top motorsport categories, and the signs couldn’t be more positive for the future of diversity and inclusion within racing. But even then, the journey that many female drivers undertook to reach their positions today has been long and arduous. From discrimination in every form to outright ridicule from haters, the women in motorsport surpass all odds to realise their dreams.

But for Amber Balcaen, that journey would meet an unexpected obstacle after she woke up in the back of an ambulance in 2020, certain that her career was over. But fast-forward to 2024, and Balcaen is all set to continue down her championship-winning path in the ARCA Menards series with the dominant Venturini Motorsports. Let’s take a look at how the journey from almost turning her back on racing after the accident ended up with such a delightful opportunity.

Racing brings me so much happiness and disappointment: Amber Balcaen

All her life, Amber Balcaen has wanted nothing more than to race just like her father, grandfathers and uncles had done for decades in dirt track cars. But little did she know, what started as a go-karting journey as a ten-year-old would lead to a plethora of success in midget car racing and soon enough, asphalt racing. But that could all have changed on one fateful day. The Canadian couldn’t recall how she made it out of a horrific midget car accident at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri.

As she flipped multiple times, Balcaen suffered a major concussion, burns on her arm and a collapsed lung. Soon enough, Balcaen was awake at the hospital and wondering what the future was going to look like for her budding racing career. However, once her nerves had calmed down, the Winnipeg native knew she could not give up on the dream her mother had supported since the very beginning. And just like that, with the spirit of a winner and the physical strength of a racer, Balcaen was soon on the way to a full recovery.

And as things currently stand, Balcaen could be spotted in Venturini Motorsports attire, prepared as ever to take on the pre-race practice for the Menards Series race at the Daytona International Speedway in early January. Reflecting on her iron-willed determination to return to racing, Balcaen was quoted by ARCAracing, where she said, “I’ve never had a plan B. It just goes back to the fact that I couldn’t see myself doing anything else in life. I just wanted to race cars. It’s what brings me so much happiness, and disappointment. Nothing fills me emotionally like racing does.”

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So with 2024 shaping up to be quite a significant year for Amber Balcaen to take her career to the next level, the added pressure of performing with a brilliant team like Venturini Motorsports will test even the toughest. But speaking of tough, has Balcaen not proven enough already?

Amber Balcaen would not be here today without her mother’s constant support

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Growing up, Balcaen had always felt different from others her age. After all, there was nothing greater for a person with such a racing pedigree to be at home on the track. She stated, “I definitely always felt different, and it’s not like my parents made me do that or anything. I wanted to do it. I loved being at the track. Even if I wasn’t racing, I loved just watching my dad, or watching my cousins and uncles. It always felt like home to me. It’s always where I wanted to be.”

But still, the fact that she was a woman would have played a bigger role in hampering her journey toward motorsport than it should have. That is until her mother stepped in to help Balcaen realise the dreams she once had to give up on as she helped her father with his racing career. Balcaen shared the moment her mother took a stand and stated, “[My mom] told my dad, ‘I didn’t get to race, and you can’t do that to her. If she wants to race, you gotta let her race’. He was like, ‘Alright, I’ll let her race, but she’s gotta come up with the sponsorship. She has to figure out how to buy a go-kart and work on the go-kart. She has to know what this all entails’.”

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And just like that, Balcaen and her father set off selling stickers, contacting sponsors and doing everything possible to purchase a go-kart that she eventually learnt to work on. But if it wasn’t for her mother’s keen support, maybe we would not be witnessing the rise of such a talented racer through the toughest of challenges.