What It Really Takes to Build a Career in NASCAR: Amber Balcaen’s Story

Building a Career in NASCAR

Amber Balcaen

There were so many times in my career that I doubted myself strictly on the fact that I was a girl. And I had to stop myself and be like, “Amber, gender has nothing to do with this. Just prepare the best you can, work as hard as you can, do your job, execute, and go all in on this and see what you can accomplish.”

Elizabeth Montavon

Welcome to today’s episode of Athlete Actually. I’m your host, Elizabeth Montavon, and today I’m joined by Amber Balcaen, a third-generation race car driver and one of the most influential women in motorsports today.

Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Amber made history in 2016 as the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States, earning Rookie of the Year honors in her first season racing stock cars.

But her path to NASCAR wasn’t built on big backing or easy opportunities. Often called the underdog of the sport, she’s built her career through grit, business savvy, and the relentless pursuit of her dream.

Now competing at the professional level and leading her own racing organization, Amber has become known not just for what she does on the track, but for how she’s built a career in one of the most demanding and competitive sports in the world.

Amber, thank you so much for joining us. I’m so happy to have you here today. How are you doing? What have you been up to?

Amber Balcaen

Good. I’m so excited to be on your podcast today. I love Parity. I love everything you guys do for women in sports. A lot of people talk about doing things for women in sports, but you guys actually put your voice behind it and do it. So I love that about you guys.

Elizabeth Montavon

Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. That’s what drew me to Parity as well. Of course we talk about the thing, but we really try to do the thing. Now, I’m a huge fan of you and your sport. I get to go fast in my sport — nowhere near as fast as you get to go — so I’m a little jealous. I cannot wait to hear your story.

So if you would do me the honor, what is the story you’ve never been asked about?

Amber Balcaen

The story I’ve never really been asked about is what it actually takes to be in NASCAR. Most sports rely on talent and hard work alone, where my sport relies on financial backing. And that is by far the most difficult part of it because I don’t come from money. I’m a female in a male-dominated sport, a Canadian in an American sport, and I had to figure out how to get an immigration visa and move down here.

Even now, my visa only allows me to make money through racing. But in order to race, I need to fundraise sponsorships to even be on the racetrack. Most drivers I race against come from very wealthy families. That wasn’t the case for me.

I’ve been raising my own sponsorship since I was 10 years old. So over the last 24 years, I’ve raised over five million dollars in marketing partnerships. And that’s no easy task. People say, “It must be easy for you. You’re marketable. You have a business background.” But it doesn’t matter how great of a driver you are or how marketable you are — you still need to prove return on investment.

And racing is incredibly expensive. I’m not asking for a couple hundred dollars or a couple thousand dollars. I’m asking for millions. And not a lot of brands have that kind of marketing budget, especially for women’s sports and especially for motorsports.

Elizabeth Montavon

Yeah, absolutely. I think something that doesn’t get talked about enough in motorsports is why it’s expensive. You’re talking about an entire machine, and if things go wrong, that machine needs a lot of work done to it. Every part is expensive. Everything is highly technical. So the costs just keep stacking up. And I think women athletes can sometimes articulate better than anyone what really goes into their sport. So it’s really special to have this conversation with you and talk about where all those sponsorship dollars actually go.

Where do you feel like you need the most support right now?

Amber Balcaen

It’s not just the cars. It’s the infrastructure — the crew, tires, fuel, travel, engines. These race cars are hundreds of thousands of dollars. And people don’t realize we don’t just have one car for the season. We’ll have six to twelve race cars because we race different kinds of tracks. A road course car. An intermediate car. A superspeedway car. A short-track car. A dirt car. And then on top of that is all the people. We have engineers, crew chiefs, spotters, mechanics. There are ten people working on my car at a time, and all of them need to be paid. A lot of people hear that I’ve raised five million dollars and think that money goes to me. None of it really goes to me. It goes to the race team.

People will say, “Good luck racing this weekend,” and I’ll have to explain that I’m actually not racing because I didn’t get sponsorship.I literally cannot race without sponsorship. That’s the difference between racing and a lot of stick-and-ball sports.I have to bring money to the race team in order to compete.

Being a Canadian in an American Sport

Elizabeth Montavon

That’s such an important perspective. And something else you mentioned that I find really interesting is your visa status and what it’s been like as a Canadian in an American sport. Can you elaborate on that a little more?

Amber Balcaen

I moved to the U.S. in 2016, but before I could live here or compete here, I had to get a visa. I had to show proof of wins, awards, sponsorships, and that I was signed with a race team. Then I had to pay lawyers, and the whole process took about a year. Now that I’m here, I can only make money through racing.

So when I’m not racing, things get really tight financially because I can’t just go get a part-time job somewhere. That’s what has made my journey especially challenging. I moved here not knowing anyone and not really knowing the NASCAR industry. I came from dirt track racing, which is completely different. I had so much to learn — the different NASCAR series, the race teams, the people I needed in my corner. And something people don’t realize is that racing really is a team sport. The chemistry between me, my crew chief, my spotter — all of that matters. The communication has to be perfect. And the better race teams cost more money. I could race for a cheaper team, but I’d probably be running last every weekend. The difference between the top teams and the lower-end teams is really the funding. So when people see me sitting on the sidelines sometimes, it’s because I’m trying to race for teams that actually give me a chance to succeed.

Elizabeth Montavon

And honestly, that makes perfect sense strategically. If you’re investing all this money and effort, you want to put yourself in the best position possible. But something else you mentioned that stood out to me was how, in order to get the visa, you had to already prove you were good enough. That almost feels backwards. What was that process like emotionally?

Amber Balcaen

Honestly, even deciding to leave college and go tell my parents, “Hey, I’m dropping out of business school to become a NASCAR driver,” was terrifying. Then it became, “Okay, now how do I actually do this?” How do I raise sponsorship? How do I prove I belong? There were very direct requirements for the visa.

Thankfully, I had won a lot of races and championships. Without that credibility, I would never have been able to move to the U.S. People assume Canada and the States are so similar that the process must’ve been easy. It wasn’t. It took a lot of money, time, and stress. And even now, after almost ten years here, I’m going through the green card process. The rules are always changing. The requirements keep getting stricter. So there’s a lot of pressure tied to my performance because doing well helps me stay here.

Elizabeth Montavon

I really admire your conviction. Leaving home, investing in yourself, moving countries, trying to break into NASCAR — that’s a huge leap. What specifically drew you to NASCAR?

Finding NASCAR

Amber Balcaen

Honestly, at the time, I think there was a little bit of “ignorance is bliss.” I thought it would be easier than it was. But NASCAR was always the pinnacle of motorsports in North America to me. All the best dirt track drivers eventually went to NASCAR. Watching Danica Patrick race was huge for me. Seeing her made me think, “Maybe there’s a place for me there too.” And around that same time, NASCAR’s diversity program reached out to me. That really opened my mind to the possibility that this could actually become a career. I always knew I wanted to move to the U.S. The Southeast just felt meant for me. And the level of competition here is incredible.

Elizabeth Montavon

Something I find really interesting is that NASCAR is obviously a sport designed for men. And that’s true of so many things in the world — equipment, clothing, infrastructure. What about NASCAR do you think could evolve to better support women drivers?

Amber Balcaen

I actually feel very grateful that NASCAR is one of the few sports where men and women can compete at the exact same level. That’s really cool. But I think the biggest thing that needs to change is financial support. You see sons from wealthy families getting opportunities all the time. Meanwhile, a lot of women drivers are fundraising on their own. And honestly, I think the next woman to really break through in NASCAR is going to need consistent funding behind her. Women drivers spend an enormous amount of time trying to secure sponsorship. People are shocked when I tell them I spend 90% of my time looking for sponsors, 8% training, and 2% actually racing. But that’s the reality. And the only way things change is when organizations and brands stop just talking about supporting women’s sports and actually invest in it.

Taking Gender Out of It

Elizabeth Montavon

I think one thing that’s so interesting about you specifically is how much of a businesswoman you are. You’ve built a whole business around yourself. What lessons would you want young women drivers to learn from your experience?

Amber Balcaen

I think the biggest thing is to stop comparing yourself to other people’s journeys. Everyone gets where they want to go differently. And if you let outside opinions dictate your decisions, you’re not going to be in a good mental place. That includes public comments online and comparing yourself to other drivers. The second thing is to try your best to take the gender aspect out of it and focus on being the best race car driver you can be. Prepare the best you can. Be as disciplined as you can. Find every opportunity to learn.

Elizabeth Montavon

That mindset is really powerful. But I imagine there were moments where being one of the few women in racing felt isolating.

Amber Balcaen

Absolutely. And I say that because I struggled with it. There were so many times where I doubted myself strictly because I was a girl. And eventually I had to stop myself and say, “Amber, gender has nothing to do with this.” Just work hard. Execute. See what you can accomplish. What’s funny is that crew chiefs and spotters will sometimes make comments like, “Women actually listen better over the radio.” And because I’m very feminine-presenting, I think sometimes people initially don’t take me seriously. But after a race weekend together, their whole perspective changes. They see how hard I work, how committed I am, and how much I care. I think if you can truly be yourself and show people who you are beyond the helmet, that’s where the respect gets built.

Showing Up Authentically

Elizabeth Montavon

You are very conventionally attractive, and I know there’s often pressure on female athletes around appearance. Did you ever feel pressure to tone yourself down?

Amber Balcaen

Absolutely. When I first got into NASCAR, I was actually told to tone down my feminine side and appear more masculine. And I tried, but it didn’t feel authentic. Now when people ask me who my dream sponsor is, I say Ulta. And if I love makeup and dressing up, why would I hide that? I think it’s extremely important that athletes show up authentically. Whether you love makeup, hate makeup, wear heels, wear sneakers — it doesn’t matter.

People can see through fake personalities. Brands can too. So now you’ll see me posting in dresses, heels, makeup, fake eyelashes under my helmet — because that’s what makes me feel confident. NFL and NBA players show up in suits because they want to feel their best. For me, looking feminine makes me feel confident. And confidence helps me perform.

Elizabeth Montavon

I love hearing that. One thing I’ve noticed in women’s sports is there’s actually a lot more acceptance around how athletes want to present themselves. There’s room for everyone. And I think that authenticity is something women’s sports fans really appreciate. Another thing I’d love your perspective on is the increase in women working behind the scenes in NASCAR. Are you seeing more women throughout the sport now?

Amber Balcaen

Absolutely. Not just female drivers — women everywhere. Female engineers. Female tire changers. Women in executive roles. The person who did my seat fittings and pedals and steering wheel setup was a woman. One of my tire changers was a woman. And there are more women showing up in every aspect of the sport now. It’s really cool to see.

Elizabeth Montavon

That’s genuinely great to hear. I think there’s sometimes a negative stereotype around motorsports, so it’s encouraging to hear you speak positively about the support system around you.

##The Risks of Racing

Elizabeth Montavon

Okay, this next question is just from me because I love extreme sports. What’s the most dangerous racing situation you’ve ever been in?

Amber Balcaen

The worst crash I ever had was in dirt track racing during COVID. Sponsorship was really hard to find at that time, so I went back to dirt racing. I was racing dirt track midgets, which are tiny, lightweight, super high-horsepower cars. They flip very easily. I ended up flipping and landing in a fence. When I woke up in the ambulance, I couldn’t feel my arms or my legs. I thought I was paralyzed. I thought not only was I never going to race again, but I might never walk again.

Thankfully, as the adrenaline settled, feeling started coming back. I ended up spending three days in the hospital with a collapsed lung and severe concussion. And honestly, it was another one of those moments where I had to ask myself if I should keep going. Obviously I did. I still have some scars from it. And then during my full ARCA Menards season, I broke my foot early in the year and raced most of the season with it broken. Racing is dangerous. But I love it. I’m addicted to the feeling. I actually read in The Power of Now that race car drivers are some of the few people who truly experience being completely in the present moment. When you’re going that fast, time almost slows down. It’s euphoric. And I think that’s why I’m so addicted to it.

Elizabeth Montavon

You just articulated something that I’ve felt in my own sport for years. That question of, “Is this worth the risk?” — I think only extreme sport athletes really understand that feeling. So what’s next for you?

Life Beyond Racing

Amber Balcaen

Right now, I’m still looking for sponsorship for this racing season. So if anyone listening is interested, I’m very good at proving return on investment.

But beyond racing, one thing this past year has taught me is that I’m good at other things too. It’s really easy for athletes to tie their entire identity to their sport. And learning that I’m more than just “Amber the race car driver” has been one of my biggest personal breakthroughs. So now I’m expanding into speaking engagements, more media opportunities, and sharing the lessons I’ve learned through racing. I’ve learned a lot about business, mental toughness, and resilience. And I want to use those lessons to help other people pursue their full potential.

Elizabeth Montavon

You are such a phenomenal example of why sponsoring women athletes gives brands so much more than just a logo placement. You’re getting the story, the business mindset, the authenticity, the motivation. And I love that you’re continuing to rediscover new parts of yourself beyond racing.

The Last Lap

Elizabeth Montavon

Amber, if you were the answer to a sports trivia question, what would that question be?

Amber Balcaen

Probably: “Who was the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States?” But hopefully there are a few more accomplishments coming. Give me a couple more years.

Elizabeth Montavon

Okay, so that’s the official trivia answer for now. But stay tuned because I think there’s more coming.

Amber Balcaen

Hopefully. And honestly, one last thing I want women athletes listening to remember is this: Don’t let your identity get wrapped up in your results. You are so much more than your sport. You are a human being first. And whether you win or lose, who you are as a person matters more.

Elizabeth Montavon

I could not agree more. That’s honestly one of the core reasons this show exists. Amber, thank you so much for joining us today and pulling back the curtain on what it’s really like to build a career in racing.

Amber Balcaen

Thank you so much. And thank you again to Parity for truly supporting women athletes and putting action behind the words.