ISABELLA ROBUSTO Leads Early Before All 4 Women Fall to Daytona Carnage

February 20, 2025

by RACERS // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

ISABELLA ROBUSTO commanded the ARCA season opener at Daytona, running in second place for most of the race and controlling the early stages in her #55 Venturini Motorsports Toyota. The 20-year-old Toyota Development Driver was making her first full-time ARCA series debut after impressive part-time runs in 2024 that included three top-10s in four starts. Her promising Daytona debut ended heartbreakingly just past halfway when she got freight-trained from behind, but not before proving she belonged at the front of the pack.
The weekend showcased serious female firepower with KATHERINE LEGGE bringing her IndyCar and sportscar pedigree to stock cars, AMBER BALCAEN returning after a strong 2024 campaign despite injury setbacks, and BECCA MONOPOLI making her second attempt to crack the Daytona field. BALCAEN topped practice sheets out of 70 cars, proving her Daytona prowess wasn’t a fluke, while LEGGE showed top-ten speed before getting collected in an early multi-car wreck that ended her day first among the women.
What started as a promising showcase turned into a frustrating reminder of superspeedway racing’s cruel lottery system. All four women were running competitive races before incidents beyond their control ended their days – ROBUSTO after leading, LEGGE in a big early crash, and both BALCAEN and MONOPOLI in a late tire-failure incident. The speed was undeniably there across the board, but Lady Luck decided to take the weekend off when it came to protecting the women who’ve been fighting to prove they belong in these rides.