Interview with Female Pro NASCAR Driver Amber Balcaen
YouTube interview (Oct 25, 2023 upload by TJ LaFaver) with NASCAR driver Amber Balcaen. Hosts banter about gender stereotypes in racing, Amber’s family racing background (third-generation driver), physical and safety aspects of stock-car racing (heat, weight loss, concussions), on-track experiences including high-speed pavement racing and multiple flips in dirt midgets, and a go-kart challenge where Amber demonstrates driving technique. The tone is informal, humorous, and promotional (sponsor mentions, merch/Instagram plugs).
Questions this video answers
About 140 degrees in the cars.
Someone her size will lose about 4 to 5 pounds a race.
Up to 10 pounds a race for the bigger guys.
About 188 miles per hour.
She flipped about 10 or 11 times.
Chapters
So when I beat you, that's what you gotta do. You gotta give me a massage.
Okay, that sounds like a good play to me. I'll take that. I'm coming.
I'm coming for you. Oh, no. What happened?
Can't wreck me.
Why not? I don't know.
It's more fun that way.
Boogity boogie boogie. Welcome in to the post workout.
Today we have professional NASCAR driver, first form athlete, Amber Balkan.
What's up, guys? Thanks for having a fan. I love the shirt on you. It looks fantastic.
Sick race shirt. And Balkan drives in nascar.
Okay.
Before we kick off the interview though, I want to be completely transparent. Okay. I don't think women should be allowed to drive at all.
Why?
They're a liability. Big time.
In what way?
Wrecking. Not paying attention. You know they do fucking makeup in the mirror while they're driving.
Okay, well, I've never done makeup in a race car. I wear makeup in a race car, but I've never done makeup in a race car.
So you think it's okay?
I think it's more than okay. I think we should have female representation in nascar.
You see, where I come from, I.
Don'T because I think the coolest thing about NASCAR is that men and women can actually compete at the same level and there isn't a separate series for us. I can actually compete against the men and run well against them. I think that's the best part about.
My sport, knowing that. How does it feel to be like a female in a male dominated sport?
Well, it has its challenges, it has its pros and cons, but at the end of the day, I'm a driver. When I put that helmet on, you know, you can't tell if I have fake eyelashes on or lipstick. The car doesn't know gender. Right.
Excuse me. It's ma'.
Am.
It is ma'. Am.
They know that there's a driver in it, and you gotta feel for that car as best you can and drive it to the best of your ability.
So how did you get into racing?
Yeah, so I'm a third generation race car driver. Yep. My grandfather raced.
No way.
My dad races. And so my parents actually met at the racetrack.
No way.
And I've been going to the racetrack since I've been in my mom's belly. So it's literally in my DNA.
So do you think that maybe you were created at a racetrack? You ever think about that? Like the timeline?
It's very high possibility. Very high possibility.
Yeah.
NASCAR fans get down.
They get down. They get down and Dirty.
Show your butt.
Show your butthole.
But my mom always really wanted to race. But back in that day, like, women weren't even allowed in the pits, so her dad didn't allow her to race. And so basically she said to my dad, you know, we can't do what my dad did me. If she wants to race, we gotta let her race.
On just another note, I do allow women in my pits. So just so we clear that.
But you still don't think they should be in a car, correct?
Yeah.
Or driving. Do you know what NASCAR stands for?
Yes.
What?
National Auto Racing. It's not what I heard.
I looked it up on Google. What is it not athletics?
No.
It's not Redneck.
You really don't think NASCAR drivers are athletes?
I do think they're athletes, actually.
We are athletes.
Okay.
Someone my size will lose like 4 to 5 pounds a race. The bigger guys will lose up to 10 pounds a race. It's 140 degrees in the cars. We have triple layer fireproof suits on helmets, balaclavas. It's endurance like no other.
That's wild. I didn't know it's that hot. It's like goddamn Africa in there.
It's hot. Like, I've been. I've gotten, like, heat stroke after races. I've gotten dizzy, puke.
You can go to the bathroom in the car, right?
You can if you need to. But I've never done it.
Just take a piss jug with you and.
No, you just. You just go.
You just sit in your.
You just sit there in your pee.
I've never done it.
I've never done it.
Everybody.
My HP's their pants.
It's the coolest.
All right, Amber. We like to do a little sponsored segment on every show. It's sponsored by First Form Energy, the best energy drink in the history of Earth. Get yours today@first form.com.
That'S my favorite one.
Really? Orange Sunrise. Yep. So the question is, what is the weirdest shit in Amber Balkan's dm? I gotta imagine it's probably pretty weird.
Oh. Ooh.
You ever get, like, unsolicited.
Yes.
Bad picks.
Yes, I do. That involved and I delete those real quick.
Bad equipment.
My favorite is probably like, get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich.
Hell, yeah.
Because I'm actually a really good cook.
Oh, really?
So I'm like, I can drive race cars and cook. So it's not really just to me, what a win.
Win.
So you ever get like, any, like, people wanting to buy your suits or, like, Your socks or weird shit like that?
Yeah, they like to buy my shoes.
Really?
But it's money. Yeah, just shoes. I'm not gonna do anything.
You gave them for money. That's what I'm saying, bro.
I'd be like, yeah, fuck yeah. What you need?
I sell my gloves, I sell my shoes.
Like, I'll give you some feet pics. I mean, the price is right. What's the craziest thing that you, like, experience on track?
I've had some pretty gnarly crashes.
Yeah, what's that feel like? What's that like?
I've raised dirt and pavement. Pavement. Like at daytona, we're about 188 mile an hour. My worst crash ever though was in what's called a dirt midget.
Yep, I know those.
So they're really small, they flip really easy. So I flipped probably about 10 or 11 times around.
Just in the. Just in the fucking blender in there.
Yes. And basic. I don't remember anything. But the flips that I do remember, you're basically just like, oh, I'm flipping right now. Yep, I'm flying through the air. This is not good. You just kind of go for the ride.
Yeah. How many wrecks have you been in?
A lot. A lot. I've probably as far as like flipping, I probably flipped six or seven times. Hey, that's gotta be.
Probably got about like down for that.
Three or four concussions.
I know this funny YouTube clip where you're like doing a sponsored spot.
Hey, NASCAR fans, I'm Amber Balkan crash.
Oh, oh, okay.
You're doing the Daytona 500 for the Busch Light thing.
He just cut it. He's like, yeah. Back in the day people like enjoyed the wreck. And that's kind of a bad thing to say, I guess because it's part of the fans.
Do fans love it? Because it's exciting, it's a thrill, it's dangerous. That's what makes racing exciting. If we didn't crash, if there wasn't that danger aspect to it, why would we do it? I do it for the adrenaline. Right.
Do you like to crash people for the adrenaline?
No, I don't like crashing.
You ever just get a quick adrenaline?
I mean, when you get pissed off, you want to do that for sure. That's where the patiently aggressive part comes in.
Speaking of which, would you rather praise Del or raise hell?
That's a tough question.
Tough question. On the post workout, we ask the hard hitting questions that people are too afraid to ask.
And it might be the hardest question. I've been Asked all month. But I think I'm gonna say we're gonna praise Dale.
Yeah.
Praise Dale.
Praise Dale. Praise Dale.
And we can always raise Dale later. But always praise Dale first. That was the right answer. All right. So, Amber, I know you feel a moral responsibility to defeat the stigma that female drivers are bad, poor drivers, liabilities on the road, a complete catastrophe most of the time scares the life out of you.
It's just incorrect.
You shouldn't be driving. Need to be in the kitchen making me a sandwich. So I was thinking maybe I like to be a mole man in the arena. I got a little hookup at a track. I was thinking maybe I'll show real man drives a car.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's just time to put up or shut up.
Yeah, that's what we're gonna do.
We're gonna get behind you genuinely think you could beat me 100. Why? What gives you that confidence? I'm a male, but I'm a professional race car driver. Like this is my job. I get paid to do it.
Like it's science.
It's. It's not.
You could look at the research. I looked at it.
Where did you find the Internet? No.
You're full of real life experience.
No. Well, I think the only way we can really settle this is by just.
Going to get behind the wheel. Let's ride then. Boogie, boogie, boogie. Let's go racing, boy.
Watch me kick his ass, guys.
All right, Amber, so we're here. We're at Victory Raceway here in Fen. We're do some go karting. It's time to put up a shut up because I'm gonna dust that. Dust that tail out there on the track. Show you how to a real man drives a car.
Women can also drive cars, so that's subjective, but sure. Have you ever driven a race?
Yeah, I go up here all the time. I'm a menace on the track. You see this flower pipe? You see, just because you already hear that rumble. You hear that?
You hear that? Just cuz you guys have a mullet doesn't mean you're going to be good in race.
That's. That's not how it works. Actually makes me way better.
No, both of those things actually shaves off speed.
We're going to go figure this out right now. So I'm going to get behind this track, this cart, show her how this done. We going.
So we'll rock, paper, scissors for starting position.
Why don't we just start side by side?
We are, but I want the inside.
Okay. You want Inside. That's fine. I'll take outside.
You don't even want to fight for it?
Sure.
Well, now I want outside. Is it better to be outside or inside? I was just guessing.
I think outside because you get a better. You get a better entry into the.
Okay, I'll take outside if I win.
What the.
I didn't know. I was just guessing on shooting. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Sucker. That's one win. Put a win on the board.
Oh, no. What happened? What happened?
Wow. Coming to little high limber.
You can't do that. That's illeg.
It's.
That's just. That's just uncalled for. She's not a nice person, dude. She. You think she's a sweetheart. She's not. She's mean.
All right, what happened?
Listen.
Okay, can I give you some tips? I think you're too concerned about entry and not exit. So you're going into.
That makes sense. I just want to get in there as hard as I can and then get out.
And that's your issue. So you're not getting any drive off. So you need to go in the corner slower so you get a better exit. That makes the straightaways longer because I killed you through over there.
Watch it. Pull out faster.
Don't pull out faster, just go in slower.
Oh, okay.
Yeah. Okay.
This has been fun.
You're a little quieter than you were before.
Well, I don't like to lose, Amber.
I don't like to lose either.
I fucking like it.
So that's why I just win.
That's a good one.
You're getting better at the jokes. That's funny. Going home.
So what do you got to say?
Well, Bach, I mean, listen, I'm not going to lie. I got a little waxed out there, you know, the practice lapse. So I had her and then she kind of got used to the car and the track and. She's fast, bro. She's fucking fast.
I don't know.
I'm sorry. But I did learn a lot.
Biggest thing you needed to learn was slow in is fast off, right?
You want to. You want. She said you got to ease her in there, but I come in.
Racing has so many parallels to life. Where your eyes focus is where you go, where you put your mental focus in life is where the direction you're gonna head in.
Hell yeah.
You know, where your eyes go, you flow.
That's right. Look at that, dropping bars. Where eyes go, you flow, baby.
Thank you.
Alright, Amber, this is called the Post workout. Now, what's your favorite post workout?
Okay, my favorite post workout right now is the vanilla milkshake. And I put a little peanut butter protein collagen with it. And of course, ignition for recovery.
Yeah.
Yep.
Great setup. Let's have this little shake, huh? All right, end this up, but that.
Was a good one.
What's your favorite?
My favorite is probably cherry lime. Seasonal flavor for the summertime. Yeah, Give me a double scoop there. Yeah. Depends on the. Depends on how. Flavor of the week.
Yeah.
All right, Cheers.
Cheers.
All right, tell them what to do next.
Drink a protein.
Tell them what to do next.
Drink protein.
That's not what we do. This is YouTube. Tell them what to do.
Like and subscribe.
Like and subscribe.
Firstform.com also go check out my video that they posted. It's really cool. Our Talladega.
Oh, yeah, we did have. We do have good YouTube on Amber @ Talladega. That was a sick.
Video. It was a good.
Video. Comment, Leave a comment. Tell us what you think about Amber and maybe possibly.
Me. Go check out that.
Shirt. If you like, check out the merch on Amber's website. What's your website.
Again? Amber Balkan.
Racing.com. follow her on Instagram. What's your Instagram handle at Amber.
Balkan?
10. And we'll see you next time on the post.
Workout.
Peace. Bye.
Guys. Burning. Except you didn't tell him to turn on notifications. Josh. Idiot. Make sure you turn on your post notifications.
