ARCA stock car series makes history with four women finishing in the top 10

ARCA, effectively a junior stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR, made history at Sunday’s Springfield ARCA 100: Four women finished in the top 10.

This is the first time four women have finished within the top 10 in the same race in all of NASCAR history, with Isabella Robusto finishing second, Taylor Reimer third, Toni Breidinger sixth, and Amber Balcaen eighth.

Four women finish in the top 10 in ARCA

On Sunday afternoon, ARCA’s Springfield 100 took place at the Illinois State Fairground dirt oval, and Venturini Motorsports had made history long before anyone took the green flag: The single team brought four women to the race to compete.

Venturini fields Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen full time in the ARCA Menards Series; Isabella Robusto and Taylor Reimer joined as one-off entries for this event.

While the race was won by William Sawalich in dominant fashion, the race was impressive for the sheer number of female talent on display — all of whom finished in the top half of the field.

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Venturini has been on the forefront of innovating female participation in the stock car racing world. In 2018, the team fielded Breidinger, Natalie Decker, and Leilani Munter, the first time three women competed for the same team.

Further, team owner Bill Venturini took his 1987 championship with the “Ultra Blue Crew,” which was the first all-female pit crew in ARCA history.

“Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen more women drivers making a positive impact on our sport,” said Venturini Motorsports owner Billy Venturini before the race.

“Although female drivers competing at this level is nothing new, I’ve seen more and more talented women drivers coming up the ranks the last few years. These women on our team are great role models for younger girls looking at our sport.

“This weekend will be special, but honestly, I don’t really look at it as gender specific — for us it’s just another day at the track with our drivers.”

It was a great day at the track. Part-timers Robusto and Reimer secured an impressive podium behind the dominant Sawalich, while Venturini’s full-time female drivers all finished on the lead lap.

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