Natalie Decker

Natalie Lynn Decker (born June 25, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. Decker was a 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development competitor[1] and 2015 Drive for Diversity participant.[2]

Natalie Decker
Decker before the 2019 NextEra Energy Resources 250
BornNatalie Lynn Decker
(1997-06-25) June 25, 1997
Eagle River, Wisconsin
AchievementsHighest finishing female in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (5th, Daytona, 2020)
Awards2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program Participant
2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Participant
2013 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
22 races run over 2 years
Truck no., teamNo. 44 (Niece Motorsports)
2019 position19th
Best finish19th (2019)
First race2019 NextEra Energy 250 (Daytona)
Last race2020 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of May 26, 2020.

Racing career

Local and regional racing

Decker begged her father for a go kart and received one at nine years old.[3] Decker won 4 karting championships in two years.[4] She began racing in 4-cylinder modified stock cars as a 12-year-old;[5] in 2011 she moved up to the Super Stock class and won the 2012 class championship at Marshfield Motor Speedway.[6][5] Decker began racing in the ARCA Midwest Tour and took the 2013 Rookie of the Year by finishing third in points.[3] She also took third that season in a three-race Midwest Truck Series at Madison International Speedway.[3] In 2014, she won seven limited late model features and two super late model features.[5] She was added to the Rev Racing team in 2015 as she was named to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.[7]

NASCAR

She was one of seven drivers to compete in the 2016 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development program; she was awarded $7,777.[8] 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]

On November 30, 2018, DGR-Crosley announced plans for Decker to run a partial Truck Series schedule for the team in the 2019 season, along with some ARCA and K&N Pro Series events.[9][10]

Decker's Truck series debut at Daytona saw her No. 54 Toyota cut a left front tire and rupture an oil line, setting the truck on fire on the first lap.[11] At Kentucky Speedway in July, Decker was involved in an on-track incident with Spencer Boyd, eliminating both drivers from the race. Later, in the truck garage, Decker took Boyd’s hat off his head and slammed it on the ground before being verbally warned by a NASCAR official stating "that's enough". She was escorted away by her team.[12]

Decker signed with Niece Motorsports for the 2020 season. On February 14, 2020, she finished fifth at Daytona, becoming the highest-finishing female driver in Truck Series history.[13]

ARCA

In 2017, it was announced that she would drive in three ARCA races for Venturini Motorsports (Elko, Toledo, and Pocono).[14] 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.[15]

Venturini later announced that they had signed Decker to drive the full 2018 ARCA schedule.[16] Decker began the season by winning the pole at the season opening race at Daytona;[17] she would finish fifth in a crash-filled race.[18] 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. She finished the season 7th in point standings, which was last among drivers who competed in every race.

Sports car racing

On January 30 and 31, 2018, Decker tested a LMP3 sports car at Sebring International Raceway. The car was fielded by longtime Decker family friend Tony Ave.[19] 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. In 2019, Decker is scheduled to race in five events for Ave's Trans Am team. She finished ninth in his TA car at Sebring International Raceway.[20] Decker was also among the preliminary participants for the 2019 W Series, after making the initial cut from 55 drivers to 28 she did not survive the next round of cuts.[21]

Personal life

Decker is the cousin of sisters Paige and Claire Decker (daughters of Allen Decker).[1] Her father is Chuck Decker, the former owner of the Eagle River Derby Track, which hosts the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. The Track was sold in August 2018 and is now called the World Championship Derby Complex.[22]

The Decker family was prominent in snowmobile racing in the 1970s and 1980s;[3] four Decker brothers raced snowmobiles including Allen Decker, a factory rider for Bombardier (and onetime teammate to Jacques Villeneuve), and Natalie's father Chuck, who won the 1987 World Championship Derby race at Eagle River.[23][3] The Deckers also raced snowmobiles alongside the family of Danica Patrick.[3] Sue Decker, Natalie's aunt, introduced Patrick's parents.[3]

On September 29, 2019, Decker revealed that she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which she was first diagnosed with at the age of two.[24]

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.)

Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors 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 NGTC 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 - [25]
2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY
32
ATL
24
LVS
13
MAR TEX DOV
17
KAN
25
CLT
31
TEX
22
IOW
17
GTW
27
CHI
14
KEN
27
POC
16
ELD MCH
27
BRI
25
MSP LVS
25
TAL
16
MAR
22
PHO
22
HOM
20
19th 281 [26]
2020 Niece Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY
5
LVS
21
CLT
27
ATL HOM POC KEN TEX KAN KAN RCH DOV TEX IOW ELD MCH GTW MSP BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO -* -* [27]

K&N Pro Series East

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2019 DGR-Crosley 98 Toyota NSM BRI
19
SBO SBO MEM NHA IOW GLN BRI GTW NHA DOV 46th 25 [28]

ARCA Menards Series

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

ARCA Menards 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 AMSC 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 [29]
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
6
7th 4220 [30]
2019 DGR-Crosley 54 Toyota DAY
6
FIF SLM TAL
23
NSH TOL CLT POC MCH MAD GTW CHI ELK IOW POC ISF DSF SLM IRP KAN 56th 315 [31]
2020 Ken Schrader Racing 52 Ford DAY
26
PHO SLM TAL CLT MOH MCH CHI POC IRP ELK IOW GTW MAD GLN ISF DSF BRI MEM KAN -* -* [32]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. White, Rea. "Decker sisters, cousin try to turn Martinsville into family event". Sporting News. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  2. Spencer, Reid. "Decker family aims to take three spots in Truck race". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  3. James, Brant. "Deckers have Danica connection". ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  4. Whitaker, Kent. "Kulwicki Development Driver Natalie Decker Debuts At Martinsville". Sports Blog. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  5. "Rev Racing Biography". Rev Racing. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  6. Cooper, Cara. "Natalie Decker joins family fun with Camping World Truck Series debut this weekend". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  7. "Natalie Joins NASCAR Drive for Diversity". Decker Racing. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  8. "2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program Lineup Announced". Kulwicki Driver Development Program. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  9. Utter, Jim (November 30, 2018). "Natalie Decker to begin transition to NASCAR racing in 2019". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  10. "Natalie Decker joins DGR-Crosley, to race across three series". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media LLC. November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  11. "Hill earns first career win after overtime finish in Truck season opener at Daytona". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  12. Bromberg, Nick. "Natalie Decker angrily rips Spencer Boyd's hat off his head and throws it after Truck Series crash". Yahoo! Sports.
  13. "Natalie Decker scores best finish by a female competitor in NASCAR Truck Series history". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  14. "Eagle River native, Natalie Decker, signs with Top National Team". WAOW. March 15, 2017. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  15. "Burton flies ARCA checkers at Toledo Speedway". RacinBoys.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  16. 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.
  17. Utter, Jim (February 9, 2018). "Natalie Decker takes pole for ARCA season-opener at Daytona". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  18. 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.
  19. "Longtime family friend Tony Ave offers Decker road course experience at Sebring". ARCA Racing. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  20. "Round 1 Trans Am 100 TA/TA3/TA4 Race Results" (PDF). Trans Am. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  21. Massie, Michael. "Natalie Decker: No Pressure to Replace Danica Patrick's Void, No Longer Facing Sexism". Frontstretch. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  22. Prusak, John (September 7, 2018). "Eagle River Derby Track Is Purchased By Industry Insiders Who Pledge A Bright Future For The Event". SnowGoer. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  23. Ordway, Renee (February 23, 1987). "World Champion Snowmobile Racer Reflects on Fun of Life in Fast Track". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  24. Christie, Toby (September 29, 2019). "Video: Natalie Decker Reveals That She Suffers From Rheumatoid Arthritis". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  25. "Natalie Decker – 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  26. "Natalie Decker – 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  27. "Natalie Decker – 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  28. "Natalie Decker – 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  29. "Natalie Decker – 2017 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  30. "Natalie Decker – 2018 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  31. "Natalie Decker – 2019 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  32. "Natalie Decker - 2020 ARCA Menards Series results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.