NASCAR trailblazer Amber Balcaen has only one goal after finishing P3 in the Ontario Sportsman Series at Sauble Speedway

Amber Balcaen, the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the US, achieved a third-place finish in the Ontario Sportsman Series. She expressed excitement over the strong result at Sauble Speedway, saying that she would be looking forward to a win.

Balcaen is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver who runs a part-time schedule in the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR's feeder series, with Nitro Motorsports. This year, she entered the Daytona and Talladega races, which, unfortunately, ended in crashes.

Speaking about her improved third-place finish at Sauble Speedway in Hepworth, Ontario, Amber Balcaen wrote on Instagram:

“P3 tonight!”

The 33-year-old added:

“Hard-fought race. Went to the back twice and drove up through the field. First time at this track & had so much fun. @brimstonegames519 (Brimstone Games) gave me an awesome car, can’t thank them enough for the opportunity! Good momentum for the next race at Delaware in 2 weeks. Hungry for that win!!!”

Amber Balcaen drove the #47 to a third-place finish in the Patriot 100 behind race-winner Connor James and runner-up Kevin Trevellin. Completing the top five finishing list were Kevin Gallant and Shawn McGlynn.

Her next race in the Ontario Sportsman Series is at the Delaware Speedway, a half-mile oval in Canada. The Delaware race is scheduled for July 11.

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“You will be scrutinized”: Amber Balcaen on harsh comments on women in motorsports

Following her crash at Talladega Superspeedway in the ARCA Menards Series, Amber Balcaen addressed the criticism women racecar drivers face. She said women tend to be scrutinized not only for their performance but also for their appearance.

In an X post, the part-time ARCA Menards Series driver 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 added.

Balcaen was under fire after getting collected in a late multi-car wreck at Talladega, which ended the race under caution. Her Daytona start wasn't a race to remember either, after crashing with fan-favorite Cleetus McFarland, forcing them to exit the season opener early. McFarland, a.k.a. Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, came to her defense, calling the harsh comments “unnecessary.”