Shift Up Now Athlete Amber Balcaen earned a ninth-place finish driving in the ARCA Menards Series on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in the Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway.
Driving the No. 30 Icon Direct car for Rette Jones Racing, Balcaen was competing on a 1.5-mile track for the first time in her career. She had 45 minutes of practice time on Saturday before the race, and practice times set the qualifying grid.
Balcaen started 13th in sunny, warm conditions for the fourth race of the season. For most of the 100-lap race, she hovered between 11th and 12th place. Around lap 70, the Canadian driver climbed up into the top ten, feeling she got better as the race progressed and she got into the groove. Her first 1.5-mile race left her exhausted afterward but she noted her enjoyment of how “racy” the track was.
“It was a great day for our Rette Jones Racing team with a solid P9 finish at Kansas,” said Balcaen. “We get better every race and I’m happy with our progression. This season is all about learning and progression.
“Thank you to Icon Direct, and Glen McLeod & Sons for making all of this possible, and a special thanks to 1st Phorm for coming on board for our Kansas race. Also, thank you to the incredible fans at Kansas. I got to meet a lot of new faces this weekend.”
The ARCA Menards Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next, for the General Tire 150 on Friday, May 27, 2022.
