Red Flags at Dover as Scary Head-On Crash Leaves Amber Balcaen Limping After Attempt to Avoid ARCA Star’s Flaming Fiasco

The General Tire 150 at Dover Motor Speedway witnessed a terrifying incident around Lap 72 involving Amber Balcaen of Venturini Motorsports and Christian Rose of AM Racing. What brought out the 3rd National ARCA red flag and the 1st ARCA East red flag of the 2024 season took place right after Gio Ruggiero was made to serve a pass-through penalty for a prior caution around Lap 63. Christian Rose’s #32 Ford Fusion seemed to lose its right tires and collided with the SAFER barriers on the outside wall of the front stretch.

Balcaen’s #22 Camry swerved to the left, attempting to avoid contact, and collided head-on with the inside wall. Also, the first Canadian-born woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States, Balcaen exited her car slowly, visually disoriented from the hit. She was seen limping, and sent off on a stretcher to receive medical attention.

Rose was reportedly released from the infield care center, and both their days will register as a DNF in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Rita Goulet of Rise Motorsports was the only other car until this point to bring out an unplanned yellow, albeit twice at the General Tire 150. Following the unfortunate events, nothing serious was determined to have happened to Balcaen, as she told the media, “I’m good. Not in perfect shape but we’ll get there.”

Amber Balcaen emerges safe and sound from Dover

In an interview with Frontstretch, Balcaen showcased incredible resilience and her unflappable Canadian spirit. She declared her comeback while still nursing a fresh injury, “Just my foot we’re going to check on it. And I’m going to do everything in my power to be at Kansas. Race ready. I will not miss a race. So we’ll make sure I’m ready.

Visibly shaken from the brutal-to-watch wreck, Balcaen provided her firsthand perspective, stating, “I came off of two and you know full throttle off of four and had seen Christian go up in smoke and flames and saw him, and I didn’t have enough time to cut. I tried to cut (the car) down. it was either drive right in the back into him or try to cut down and miss him but a lot happens really fast at this racetrack and I’m really bummed…”

“I was trying to figure out this track,” explains another Dover debutant at the General Tire 150. Nevertheless, aspiring for a breakthrough victory in her full-time 2024 season with Venturini Motorsports, Balcaen’s conclusion lays out the perfect example of her unending dedication to becoming one of the best drivers in an exciting ARCA field.

“This is my first time at the track and the first stage was you know a little a little rusty. And then I was really starting to figure it out and we were making some speed and I was having a lot of fun and passing some cars, and finally making some ground. So really disappointed because I was having a lot of fun before that happened,” explained Amber Balcaen.

With bright eyes and a speedy recovery, ARCA faithful can breathe easy knowing the return of Amber Balcaen is only around the corner, and at Kansas, we may very well see something magical from the inspirational racing star.