NASCAR driver Amber Balcaen shares a powerful message as she mourns the lives lost in the 9/11 attacks

Canadian stock car driver Amber Balcaen shared her thoughts on 9/11 during her visit to New York. She said that while she tries to live life with optimism, events like 9/11 are a reminder that tragedy and hope often exist side by side.

Balcaen—who has made two ARCA Menards Series starts this year—is in New York for Adweek, a media company focused on the brand marketing world. She took part as a speaker at the event, noting that opportunities away from the track can be a valuable way to support her racing career.

In an Instagram post, the 33-year-old racecar driver wrote a hopeful message about being in New York on September 11.

“It's a unique feeling being in NYC the day of 9/11, couple that with the devastating events that have transpired in the past few weeks. I walk around today seeing so much beauty in everything and everyone, and have a hard time comprehending how so much ugly can coexist simultaneously. I pray for less violence and more peace,” she said.

Amber Balcaen's Instagram story - Source: @amberbalcaen10 on IG

The 9/11 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist strikes in the United States on September 11, 2001, most notably when two hijacked commercial airliners were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, making it one of the deadliest days in U.S. history.

On the racing side, Balcaen doesn’t have a full-time ride lined up for 2025, though she made two ARCA Menards Series starts at Daytona and Talladega, averaging a 22.5 finish. Last year, she ran the full season with Venturini Motorsports and capped it off with a sixth-place result in the final standings.

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“You will be scrutinized”: Amber Balcaen on being a female in motorsports

After her run at Talladega Superspeedway this year, Amber Balcaen responded to criticism—not about her driving, but about being a woman in racing. She noted that female drivers often face unfair scrutiny, even over their appearance.

The Canadian racecar driver addressed the issue on X and wrote:

“Took less than one minute of scrolling through this weekends' comments to realize it doesn't matter how feminine or not you portray yourself to be. If you're a woman in this sport, you will be scrutinized. For not just your ability but for the way you look. One thing I know for sure, we are all just trying to be authentic to who we are as humans, while being the best racecar drivers we can be.”

She also made it clear that every woman in the sport had to work their way to be there, adding:

“Every woman I know in this sport work their butts off to be here. And I'm proud of every single one of them.”

In the General Tire 200 at Talladega, Amber Balcaen was running 13th when she was caught in a multi-car crash on the final overtime restart. Her #70 Nitro Motorsports Toyota took heavy damage in the incident, ending the race and allowing Lawless Alan to score the win under caution.