After running a partial schedule in the ARCA Menards Series West for Bill McAnally Racing, and participating in the inaugural season of the BMR Drivers Academy, Amber Balcaen will graduate to the national division of the ARCA Menards Series.
Balcaen will run the full 20-race ARCA Menards Series schedule for Rette Jones Racing, with sponsorship backing from ICON Direct and Glenn McLeod and Sons, marking her first full-time schedule in any of the divisions of the ARCA Menards Series.
“It is really special for me as a Canadian competing in the United States to be representing all Canadian companies on my car with Rette Jones Racing,” Balcaen said. “To have the hometown support is amazing. I couldn’t do this without them.”
ICON Direct is a Canadian company specializing in the manufacturing of high-quality plastic component parts for the RV industry. ICON aftermarket replacement parts are available through RV dealers and distributors across North America and directly through their website (IconDirect.com).
“We are excited to be a returning sponsor of Amber Balcaen in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series,” added John Loewen, CEO of ICON Technologies Limited. “I resonate with Amber’s underdog story. She has a really bright future as a professional race car driver and is a great brand ambassador for ICON.”
In 2022, Balcaen will have the leadership of Mark Rette – championship-winning crew chief and co-owner of Rette Jones Racing — offering the 29-year-old a great opportunity to succeed within the ARCA Menards Series.
“Racing in NASCAR’s national ARCA Menards Series has always been my dream,” she said. “To compete at historic tracks like Daytona and Talladega is something I have visualized for years. I have dedicated the last eight years, working hard to make this dream become reality, and I cannot be more excited to live it.”
Balcaen will be the third female competitor for Rette Jones Racing in the last five years, with Dominique Van Wieringen and Brittney Zamora both competing for the organization throughout it’s history.
“Everyone at Rette Jones Racing is excited about the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season,” Rette said. “As a company, we are thrilled to return to the premier ARCA Menards Series on a full-time basis, and we look forward to the opportunity to strengthen Amber’s craft as a driver in a series that has always provided a lot of diversity.
“Our goals for the season are obtainable, and we look forward to producing the results we know that we are capable of and giving Amber a shot at the ARCA Menards Series championship.”
Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition, and Abatement and JRi Shocks will all continue their support on-board Amber Balcaen’s No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.
Rette Jones Racing will make additional announcements regarding their program in the coming weeks, including the plans for the team’s development driver Max Gutiérrez.
