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    • Four female drivers at the Allen Crowe 100
    Colorado

    Four female drivers at the Allen Crowe 100

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Of the five cars entered by Venturini Motorsports for Sunday’s ARCA Racing Series Allen Crowe 100 at the Springfield Mile of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, four will be driven by women.

    Full-time riders Amber Balcaen and Toni Breidinger are supported by part-time riders Isabella Robusto and Taylor Reimer.

    Reimer and Balcaen believe that the perception of women in racing has improved, but it is still a novelty for them that they are no longer active in racing.

    “I hope so. That’s my main goal: I don’t want to be seen as a woman in racing; I just want to be treated as a racer,” said Reimer, a 24-year-old Oklahoman. “I think it’s really great that more and more women are coming to us, and that’s what we want: We want to have as many as possible.”

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    Balcaen, a 32-year-old third-generation driver from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has witnessed the dramatic shift in the acceptance of women behind the wheel.

    “In the mini sprints, I was usually the only girl … and it was the same in the 410 sprint cars,” Balcaen said. “Now that I’m racing in stock cars, there’s at least one other girl (at every race). That’s definitely more common and there are more and more women, not only in this sport, but winning and competing at a high level. I think that helps the rest of us.”

    Learning curve for stock car on unpaved surfaces

    Balcaen and Reimer first ventured onto a dirt track in a stock car at the Springfield Mile, held each year on the final day of the Illinois State Fair. In 2022, Balcaen finished 14th.thIn 2023, Reimer finished eighth in her first start in the ARCA Series.

    Balcaen has now run his stock car’s wheels on dirt tracks three times: twice in 2022, including at the Du Quoin State Fair, and in July at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario in a NASCAR Canada Series race.

    “I felt like that helped me prepare,” Balcaen said of NASCAR Canada. “It’s all going to depend on what the track is like, but I think I can adapt whether it’s dry and smooth or a little sticky. I’m pretty comfortable on dirt, so I’m really looking forward to this race and I think we’re going to do really well.”

    When Reimer was asked when she felt comfortable on her first trip here last year, she laughed.

    “I never really felt comfortable; it was kind of a disaster, to be honest,” said Reimer. “Even at the end of the race, I still had no feeling for how the car was handling because it was so slippery and there was so much rubber on the bottom. I really can’t take much from last year into this year.”

    Reimer called last year’s Allen Crowe winner, Brent Crews.

    “It’s very reassuring to have everyone at Venturini helping me,” Reimer said. “I contacted last year’s winner, Brent Crews, and asked him a little bit about how he did it, because he won – so he was obviously very fast.”

    Venturini resources are the key

    Balcaen and Reimer owe their optimism to racing in Venturini cars. The team has won 104 races in the ARCA Racing Series.

    “I’m really excited to be running with Venturini again. They are the best of the best and I’m super grateful to be running for them again,” said Reimer.

    Balcaen said she never had access to the resources available to her at Venturini and Toyota Racing Development – including a simulator. Then she laughed and said: “Of course we don’t have the dirt tracks in the simulator.”

    Balcaen said people should not be surprised to see a woman in the winner’s circle on Sunday.

    “All four of us women are pretty successful,” Balcaen said. “The three ladies that are with me are great racers. I wouldn’t be surprised if all four of us were at the top of the list.”

    ARCA Series practice sessions begin at 10 a.m., followed by qualifying at 11:15 a.m. The 100-lap main race is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m.

    Illinois State Fair Racing Calendar

    SPRINGFIELD MILE

    SATURDAY EVENTS

    USAC Silver Crown Tony Bettenhausen 100

    10am – Silver Crown Training

    12:15pm – Sportsman Nationals Hot Laps

    12:30pm – Silver Crown Qualifying Race

    1 – Preliminaries of the Sportsman Nationals

    1:30 – Opening ceremony of the Silver Crown

    2 – Main race over 100 laps

    SUNDAY EVENTS

    ARCA Series Allen Crowe Memorial 100

    10am – ARCA exercise

    10:30 am – Training for the Sportsman Nationals

    11:15 – ARCA Qualifying

    11:45 am – Main event of the Sportsman Nationals

    13:00 – Presentation of the ARCA drivers

    1:15 – ARCA starts engines

    Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, [email protected]Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.

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    Madoc Meredith
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