Natalie Decker

Natalie Decker
Decker posing in victory lane in 2016
Nationality United States American
Born (1997-06-25) June 25, 1997
Eagle River, Wisconsin
Related to Chuck Decker
Allen Decker
Paige Decker
Claire Decker
ARCA Racing Series career
Debut season 2017
Current team Venturini Motorsports
Car no. 25
Starts 26
Wins 0
Poles 1
Best finish 23rd in 2017
Awards
2013
2015
2016		 2013 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year
2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant
2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development driver
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
2016 position 118th
Best finish 118th (2016)
Statistics current as of October 5, 2018.

Natalie Lynn Decker (born June 25, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She currently competes part-time in the ARCA Racing Series, driving the No. 25 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports sponsored by Starbucks. She attempted to make her first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in the No. 14 MAKE Motorsports entry on April 2, 2016 in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway.[1] Decker was a 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development competitor[1] and 2015 Drive for Diversity participant.[2] Decker raced in several ARCA races for Venturini Motorsports in 2017; she announced a full-time schedule in ARCA for the team in 2018.[3]

Racing career

2014 ARCA Midwest Tour car

Local and regional racing

Decker begged her father for a go kart and received one at nine years old.[4] Decker won 4 karting championships in two years.[5] She began racing in 4-cylinder modified stock cars as a 12-year-old;[6] in 2011 she moved up to the Super Stock class and won the 2012 class championship at Marshfield Motor Speedway.[7][6] Decker began racing in the ARCA Midwest Tour and took the 2013 Rookie of the Year by finishing third in points.[4] She also took third that season in a three-race Midwest Truck Series at Madison International Speedway.[4] In 2014, she won seven limited late model features and two super late model features.[6] She was added to the Rev Racing team in 2015 as she was named to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.[8]

NASCAR

She was one of seven drivers to compete in the 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development program; she was awarded $7777.[9] Decker joined her cousins Paige Decker and Claire Decker in attempting to make the field for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2016.[1] Decker was 38th fastest in qualifying and her MAKE Motorsports entry did not make the field.[2]

ARCA

In 2017, it was announced that she would drive in three ARCA races for Venturini Motorsports (Elko, Toledo, and Pocono).[10] Decker made her ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway. After spending much of the race in the Top 10, she finished eleventh on the lead lap.[11]

Venturini later announced that they had signed Decker to drive the full 2018 ARCA schedule.[12] Decker began the season by winning the pole at the season opening race at Daytona;[13] she would finish fifth in a crash-filled race.[14]Later on in the season she was injured via hernia, and was forced to start the race and have Brennan Poole jump in, in which he would finish the race in 8th.

IMSA

On January 30th and 31st, 2018, Decker tested a LMP3 sports car at Sebring International Raceway. The car was fielded by longtime Decker family friend Tony Ave.[15] Ave wanted her to drive his car after he was impressed by her performance in the 2017 Road America ARCA race, where she finished 7th, which was her best finish of the season.

Personal life

Decker is the cousin of sisters Paige and Claire Decker (daughters of Allen Decker).[1] Her father is Chuck Decker, the owner of the Eagle River Derby Track, which hosts the World Championship Snowmobile Derby.

The Decker family was prominent in snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s;[4] four Decker brothers raced snowmobiles including Allen Decker, a factory rider for Bombardier (and onetime teammate to Jacques Villeneuve), and Chuck Decker, who won the 1987 World Championship Derby race at Eagle River.[16].[4] The Deckers also raced snowmobiles alongside the family of Danica Patrick.[4] Sue Decker, Natalie's aunt, introduced Danica Patrick's parents.[4]

Images

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCWTC Pts Ref
2016 MAKE Motorsports 14 Chevy DAY ATL MAR
DNQ		 KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 118th - [17]

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Racing Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ARSC Pts Ref
2017 Venturini Motorsports 25 Toyota DAY NSH SLM TAL TOL
11		 ELK
13		 POC
27		 MCH MAD IOW IRP POC
10		 WIN ISF ROA
7		 DSF SLM CHI KAN
12		 23rd 1150 [18]
55 KEN
12
2018 25 DAY
5		 NSH
11		 SLM
16		 TAL
28		 TOL
7		 CLT
15		 POC
8		 MCH
15		 MAD
6		 GTW
15		 CHI
12		 IOW
16		 ELK
5		 POC
15		 ISF
10		 BLN
10		 DSF
12		 SLM
8		 IRP
16		 KAN -* -* [19]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 White, Rea. "Decker sisters, cousin try to turn Martinsville into family event". Sporting News. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Spencer, Reid. "Decker family aims to take three spots in Truck race". NASCAR. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Natalie Decker signs with Venturini Motorsports for full 2018 ARCA schedule". ARCA Racing. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 James, Brant. "Deckers have Danica connection". ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  5. ↑ Whitaker, Kent. "Kulwicki Development Driver Natalie Decker Debuts At Martinsville". Sports Blog. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "Rev Racing Biography". Rev Racing. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ Cooper, Cara. "Natalie Decker joins family fun with Camping World Truck Series debut this weekend". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Natalie Joins NASCAR Drive for Diversity". Decker Racing. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ "2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program Lineup Announced". Kulwicki Driver Development Program. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Eagle River native, Natalie Decker, signs with Top National Team". WAOW. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Burton flies ARCA checkers at Toledo Speedway". RacinBoys.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ Fabrizio, Tony (October 27, 2017). "Natalie Decker taking next step as full-season ARCA driver in 2018". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ Utter, Jim (February 9, 2018). "Natalie Decker takes pole for ARCA season-opener at Daytona". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  14. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (February 10, 2018). "Natalie Decker keeps cool, finishes fifth in wreck-filled ARCA opener at Daytona". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Longtime family friend Tony Ave offers Decker road course experience at Sebring". ARCA Racing. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  16. ↑ Ordway, Renee (February 23, 1987). "World Champion Snowmobile Racer Reflects on Fun of Life in Fast Track". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Natalie Decker – 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Natalie Decker – 2017 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Natalie Decker – 2018 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
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